Shadowplay
by Jacari
Summary: Ruby and Blake need to spend the last semester of their second year as partners, and end up stumbling into a relationship.
1. Chapter 1

The dorm was near silent, aside from a constant _tap-tap-tap_. Now nearing their third year the team was assigned regular missions, but they were always presented to Ruby first. The wait for their leader to return from debrief had given Yang an anxious habit; tapping.

Blake didn't mind too much.

Weiss was being driven to visible insanity.

She was staring off in to nothingness, only occasionally blinking. No doubt all her concentration was being spent on not murdering her teammate.

She would not hold back forever.

Luckily for Yang, her red sister chose that exact moment to carelessly barge through the door. Though normally they would be subjected to her excited gushing about their new job, they were just met with silence. Ruby was staring down at her scroll with a scrunched up brow, and when she looked up at them she seemed uncertain of what to say.

"What'd we get, Rubes?"

Silver eyes flashed up at Yang.

"Uh, well...It's not really normal."

Confused glances darted around the room.

"For the entire semester we have to switch partners."

The room was dead silent. Three teammates stared at their leader blankly, slowly processing.

Weiss broke the silence. "Are you joking?"

"Nope."

"Really?"

"Yep."

" _Really?_ "

Ruby rolled her eyes and tossed her open scroll to the heiress. Weiss quickly snatched it, her eyes pouring over every line of text in the assignment, looking for the part that marked it off as a prank. After a minute of her frustrated mumbling she looked up at them and confirmed "She's right."

Ruby scanned the room once, then her face pulled into perhaps the cheekiest grin Weiss had ever seen. With it, she happily announced "I call Blake!"

* * *

With their new role as partners Yang and Weiss argued more than ever. Only four days in, the team had gotten used to splitting down the middle during training so one half could bicker while the other actually tried to improve. Blake was pleasantly surprised with how driven Ruby became, and not just with this assignment. Though her academics may still be lacking, her combat prowess and tactical ability had gone through the roof. She was ranked as one of top of their year, and climbing still.

Blake wasn't too sure anyone had noticed, though. JNPR certainly had, offering small congratulations during meals, but aside from them and herself it seemed as though Ruby was doomed to being considered a non-threat. Somehow, despite being watched by a class of combatants, her wins were generally attributed to her unique weaponry.

And so Blake, as teammate and temporary partner, was going to help them see the truth. She had been srudying Ruby's fighting style for a while, trying to figure out what could be improved. It became glaringly obvious once she noticed it, hard to spot in the quick flurry of movement that was her leader.

But she found it.

Though Ruby could probably find the weak points on any grimm in her sleep, she couldn't say the same for humans. Despite her excellent performances, her fights were riddled with small missed opportunities. A chance to take the legs here, a chance for a feint there. Fights that went on longer than necessary because she didn't take advantage of her opponents failures. If Blake could solve this, Ruby trouncing her competitors would be undeniable.

And so, with roughly six months of partnership to go, she would try to make her leader unbeatable.

And maybe make the other two stop fighting for a full day.

Though that was seeming more and more like an unrealistic goal, as her and Ruby simply stared on while they made snide comments and jabs at each other.

"Ruby, should we just start without them?" ' _Again_ ' went unsaid.

Ruby gave a tired sigh, before a resigned "Yep."

They began their spar without fanfare. As it went on, Blake avoided using force as much as possible. Instead, she focused on keeping Ruby at bay with the exact techniques she wanted to teach her. Blake wasn't going ot last long doing so, but she needed to start the lessons somehow. She quickly noticed, however, that Ruby was fighting differently as well. She wasn't using her semblance much at all, instead almost entirely using her scythe as your average hunter might, More skilled, of course, her years of experience never wavering.

Blake's plan went out the window as the massive blade prevented her from getting close. She peppered in shots when she could, but her partners gun outmatched hers at range. Her bullets very slowly whittled at Ruby's aura, but every sniper shot that hit took off a chunk she could not afford to continue losing.

She had no choice but to get in close. If she could get around the monstrous weapon, she would have the advantage. Her semblance kept her from getting struck as long as it could, shadows taking heavy swings instead of her. She managed to get in behind, but with too much distance for a close strike. Instead, she used her ribbon to make it up and sent the black blade towards Ruby.

It didn't land.

Ruby spun and fired behind her, launching herself under the ribbon and towards Blake. The faunus couldn't react fast enough, and the scythe made contact. It sent her flying, and even though she landed on her feet and her aura still held, it felt like getting hit by a car. Ruby didn't relent, coming at her again. Blake was faster this time, leaving a shadow so she could try to get in on Ruby's side.

She got one hit in.

It was the only proper strike she had landed the entire fight. One hit to ribs, and the moment it landed, Ruby reacted. All she had to do was lift her weight and pull the trigger, and her scythe did the work. The recoil pushed, and with just a bit of movement it was striking Blake in the kidney.

Blake tried to hit high and force a retreat and create distance. Ruby ducked under Gambol Shroud, and hooked her massive weapon around Blake's legs. She fired and the faunus was almost immediately on her back, a combat boot on her chest and staring down the barrel of Crescent Rose. Ruby was smiling, proud as usual.

Blake couldn't help but smile back. "You win. Well done."

 _Had she even put up a fight_?

Ruby offered a hand and helped her up. Once Blake was standing, they turned to their teammates and found them on opposite sides of the room, training separately and silently fuming. Well, less silent in Yang's case. Ruby looked up to her partner with silver orbs that always seemed to somehow look _through_ her, and asked "Do you know why I picked you, Blake?"

She did. Or, thought she did. Ruby had gotten quite clever when it came to keeping the team from killing each other, so little surprising things like that could usually be traced back to her leader trying to help.

"I assume you wanted them together so they could sort out their issues. You knew Weiss would try to choose me and Yang you, so you had to ensure that was not an option."

Ruby gave her an appreciative look, and seemed to ponder her reply. She held on to the small smile that rarely seemed to be missing from her face when they talked, though whether that smile was genuine or merely a kind gesture honestly alluded Blake.

"Nope, but that'd be pretty smart. My plans for them were a bit different. More handcuffs."

Blake couldn't help but laugh at that. She was quite certain one of them would not walk away from it alive, but it would be amusing nonetheless.

"Oh? So why did you choose me?"

Ruby's smile widened. "Isn't it obvious? I like spending time with you."

Blake didn't really know how to take that.


	2. Chapter 2

They were recieving missions in two weeks. Partner missions, which meant they were testing the new pairs. Each team of two would be sent to check out a different grimm sighting, and it would often be a few days of travel through wild terrain before finding anything. That is, assuming there was still anything to find. More days still, as they would then have to backtrack to an extraction zone so they could return to Beacon. First year teams never got assigned partner missions, as they needed more time to bond before having a complete trust in each other.

And now they had to build whatever trust was lacking between them and their new partner in two weeks.

Blake was conflicted.

On one hand, she knew she could trust her team. Yang especially, as they had been partners for a year and a half. Weiss was more questionable, but she trusted her to do what she thought was best, at the least. On the other hand, she trusted Ruby too much. Or so she thought, her sense of trust hadn't been normal in a long time. Maybe it was the innocence she often expressed, or how kind she was to her team. Either way, trust in Ruby didn't come with a second thought.

And that was terrifying.

It wasn't an active decision, it was simply a lack of doubt. It was different when they first met, when Ruby was too young and missing two years of education. She could doubt the girl then, easily. However Ruby was now seventeen, the same age they were at the start. Blake was certain of herself then, how could she doubt Ruby now? She had proven herself capable time and time again. But then that was just her ability, did she really know Ruby well enough to trust her?

No, she didn't. They had almost never spent time together outside of the team, let alone taken the time to talk. They were friends, teammates, but not close. Not partners, not really.

And yet, her subconscious had decided to give Ruby her trust.

Not that she had anything against her leader, of course. Ruby was making to be an exceptional huntress, and didn't hesitate to take control when need. She was considerate and intelligent. She was reliable an- oh.

She supposed she was just answering her own question.

Blake showed up to the training room late. Not by much, five minutes at most. Apparently it was enough that Ruby was deep into a lecture. Though she wasn't the type of leader to do so often, she had spent enough time with Weiss to pick up on how to berate her teammates when needed. They must have really crossed a line this time, Ruby was going red in the face and her voice was carrying across the room, drawing the attention of the other students that hadn't already left.

" -and it's _ridiculous_! You are nineteen and acting like complete _children_! You should be thankful that _Goodwitch_ doesn't know about this! Do you even _know_ what you're supposed to be doing today?"

Weiss managed to reply, but she was even paler than usual. "Training for our next assignment."

"Oh, so you _have_ been paying attention. _I couldn't tell_!" Ruby's voice was the firmest she had ever heard it, wide-eyed expressions on her teammates they were feeling similar.

"R-Ruby-" Yang tried, but was cut off.

"No! This is _done_." Ruby pulled out her scroll and started typing into it quickly. She gave them a quick glance before looking down to it again. "I'm pulling you from your mission."

Weiss let out an indignant cry, "You can't do that!"

"I can." Ruby stated. "It is part of my job to decide whether my team is ready or not. You two clearly aren't, so you are benched from all fieldwork until you start working as partners."

"Wha- Bu- What?" Yang had clearly lost the ability to make sentences.

"There is nothing more to say. Blake and I will spend the next two weeks training for our mission, you two will learn to love each other and _stay out of our way_. Understood?"

It was like their brains had completely vacated their skulls. They just stood their, unresponsive, occasionally blinking.

" _Am I understood_?"

Blake never though she'd see Yang Xiao-Long and Weiss Schnee scamper away in fear, but that's exactly what they did.

It was fantastic.

They shouted out a "Yes ma'am!" and ran out of the room like they were on fire. Ruby stood in the same place until they were gone, before turning to Blake. Her expression had softened, the anger no longer necessary. The onlookers that had gathered quickly started turning away, as if they hadn't just been playing audience. Ruby let out a sigh, but it didn't seem to help. Her body was tensed up, like a tightly coiled spring.

She wouldn't be able to relax on her own.

Blake acted quickly, taking Ruby's shoulders and gently massaging them. The younger girl leaned in to the touch, resting her head on Blake's collarbone. She needed time to calm down before anything else.

After a few moments like that, Ruby tilted her head a bit. "I don't like doing that."

"I know. You did what you had to."

Ruby took a deep breath, exhaled, and gently push off Blake. She rubbed her eyes before saying anything. "Thanks, Blake. I needed that."

Her partner gave a small smile. "No problem. Do you still want to train today?"

Ruby smiled at that. "Yeah. But, uh... after this, do you wanna go into Vale with me?"

Blake was half way through a good book, but how could she say no? "Sure. Need something specific?"

"Yep. Ordered a new scope a while ago and it finally arrived. Gotta keep my sweetheart looking good."

Vale was pleasantly quiet that day. Not many people were out, and those that were seemed content to keep to themselves. Ruby's order took no time to pick up at all. Unsurprisingly, she ordered new parts whenever she could, and that meant she was no stranger to the local shops. On the way back to the Beacon airships, Blake suddenly realized she was alone. Turning around, she spotted Ruby staring into the window of a small restaurant.

"Hungry?" She asked, walking up next to her partner. The cloaked girl blushed and dragged a hand through her hair.

"Sorry about that, Blake. I guess we should hurry back."

Blake looked through the glass for a moment, observing the dishes getting served. Her stomach growled, and it was her turn to blush. Ruby giggled at her.

"So, I think we should probably eat here." Blake said. Ruby, in her defense, looked embarrassed when she replied.

"I uh... am actually kinda broke right now."

Blake stared at her for just long enough to make her squirm before smirking, "It's on me."

"Huh? Are you sure? You don't need to..."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure, Ruby. Don't worry about it."

* * *

Dinner went well, the food was good and the company excellent. Ruby was quiet, but not subdued. She had got on to Blake's wavelength faster than Yang did, keeping a calm but friendly atmosphere. It was just getting dark when they left, and their conversation didn't end until they returned to Beacon.

Even then, it only ended because they stepped into some sort of bizarre alternate reality.

They entered their dorm quietly, and found themselves listening to a soft talk in hushed tones. Weiss was working on a history report way before it was due, and Yang was leaning over her shoulder. They were whispering to each other, seemingly getting along quite well.

To the shock of everyone ever.

Ruby cleared her throat, announcing their arrival. The two shot apart and spun around, then Weiss walked up to her leader.

"Ruby, you were right. Yang and I have been acting inappropriately, and that is not acceptable."

Yang stepped up, bumping Weiss on the shoulder a bit. "Yeah. Sorry about that, Rubes. But we're gonna be awesome together from now on!"

Weiss' eye twitched, but she held back any comments on that. "...Yes, that is one way of putting it. We _will_ be ready in time for the mission."

Ruby smiled, "I'm sure you will be, but I need to clear you a days before. You have 11 days, starting tomorrow. Think you can handle it?"

Weiss and Yang looked at each other, then back. "Of course we can."


	3. Chapter 3

The RWBY dorm room was starting to look more like a war room.

Maps and textbooks were strewn about and littering the walls, symptoms of Ruby trying to ensure absolute preparation. Apparently an older student had recommended going over the geography of an area before being sent there. Sound advice, though it sounds like it should be obvious.

Keyword _should_.

While Ruby didn't send her team in blind, she didn't exactly go through prep. Normally, that is. Now Blake was finding herself dragged into daily study, the intent seeming to be that they would be ready for the terrain their mission took place in and the grimm common to it. A difficult task, considering they hadn't actually been told where they would be going or what they would be hunting. Instead, Ruby formed a daily rotation of areas to study. And even with their uncertain status, the other half of their team found no escape.

She could feel her reading time slowly dying.

Yang looked like she might jump out the window.

Weiss had the most pleased expression she had ever seen on anyone.

The heiress took a lot of pride when Ruby's leadership abilities shined through, and this was the most studious thing she ever made them go through. She suspected that for Weiss, their leader putting them through daily study was a dream come true. Blake didn't care for it, but she saw why it was useful and put effort in anyways. Yang was starting to look like someone propped up a corpse, her eyes still open but clearly vacant. With her sister taking leadership more seriously, the blonde was suddenly the only one on the team that wanted to avoid excess work. It wasn't that she was stupid, in fact she was far from it, but rather that her hands-on style and personality didn't find much need for research.

Originally, Yang would be complaining. However, after the verbal lashing she received from her dear baby sister...

In fact, the now friendly teammates were almost suspiciously docile. While they could be left alone on down time and their coursework was as consistent as ever, every training session had them waiting for Ruby's instruction like they were incapable of acting without her order.

Ruby was not happy about it.

Blake was the only one to hear her complaints, but she didn't think that would last. Initially she thought they would be passed for missions with the level of playing nice they had now managed, but Ruby was clearly unimpressed. They still had nine days, and at this rate they were going nowhere. She'd try and help them out, but considering they needed to learn how to help themselves... She was going to stay out of it.

Her musings were cut short when Weiss whispered to her, "Blake? You've been staring at Ruby the last ten minutes."

...Well. At least Yang hadn't noticed, she didn't need her assumptions.

* * *

Though their leader insisted on them taking the swap seriously, she wasn't going to stop them from spending time with their teammates as they pleased. Yang and Blake going out for lunch on Fridays had become a ritual, the more flexible schedules for second years allowing for nice breaks in the monotony of their daily schooling. They had tried a lot of places, but found a favourite rather unexpectedly. The Pretty Bird would be best classified as a cafe, serving breakfast and lunch but closing before dinner. It was small and a bit out of the way, but the food and atmosphere suited them perfectly. Though when their meals arrived, it became clear that Yang wanted to talk about something. That wasn't the unusual part, it was the fact that she hadn't just started speaking her thoughts freely.

So, Blake would have to ask. "What is it?"

The blondes eyes shot up to her before she replied, "What, my food? You wanna try some?"

Blake's eyes rolled. "No, I mean what's bugging you?"

Yang, to her credit, had the decency to look sheepish. "I was kinda thinking of you, actually. How are you and Rubes doing?"

"Quite well. Ruby is very determined."

Yang waved a hand dismissively, "Nah, I already know that. How are you getting on? You guys got dinner a while ago, right?"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "...Yes?"

"Well? How'd it go?"

Yang clearly had something she wanted to hear, the question was what. Dinner wasn't an unusual activity, especially considering they often went out together. Even Weiss had brought them out a few times in the past, so what was it she was caught up on?

And then it clicked.

Yang was _assuming_. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid, not wanting her teammates protectiveness to make her think something was going on. Though, when se thought about it, that still didn't make sense. Weiss and Ruby had plenty of one-on-one time, and Yang never went for a questioning. Even Jaune had taken her out before, and that didn't even earn a worried look.

Was she just reading into it?

If she was right, denying would make it worse. She would have to deflect.

"It was nice. Through right now I'm more interested in how things are going between you and Weiss."

Nailed it.

Yang sighed, "We're fine, I guess. Can actually talk without fighting, so it's coming along. Still can't believe Ruby yelled at us, though."

Blake's eyes narrowed, "She's our leader, it's her responsibility."

The brawlers hands raised in surrender at that. "Whoa, sorry. Didn't mean it that way, I was just surprised."

She could feel her ears try to lower in embarrassment, pushing against her bow. Blake hadn't meant to defend Ruby so sternly, or even so quickly. Of course she was _right_ , but Yang wanting to vent was far from malicious.

"No, I know. Sorry. Please, go on."

Yang cleared her throat. "Well, she's my little sis, ya know? I didn't even know she could do that, let alone do it to me."

"I think I understand. But, you know she couldn't stay little forever."

Her teammates smile was seemed a bit sad. "Yeah, I know. But I always thought I was supposed to protect her, and now what? She literally scolded me for misbehaving. I haven't had to do that since she was twelve."

Blake put a hand on Yang's, hoping to offer her some comfort. "Hey, it's not like you can't make it up to her. You have nine days, remember?"

"Yep." She popped the P. "I'm gonna melt the princess, mark my words!"

They shared a laugh at that, Yang's humor was never absent for long. Good timing, as she was just thinking about getting a little revenge...

"Princess, huh? Guess when Ruby told you to learn to love her you took it seriously."

Yang paled, "Wha- I'm not going to _date_ her!"


	4. Chapter 4

Blake couldn't help but feel like time was passing a bit too quickly. Two weeks wasn't exactly a long amount of time, and it was meeting its end rapidly. They only had five days until they would be briefed, and the training their team was pushing through seemed to eat up every hour it could. Yang and Weiss were putting on quite the show as they tried for approval, though they had finally started training without being told to. Yang had taken to public displays of affection, forcing the heiress into hugs whenever Ruby was watching. Weiss was too worried about staying benched to fight her off, and just ended up standing there awkwardly while the blonde held her. Perhaps even better than that, was that they were almost always in front of other students. Other students who were not aware of why these interactions were happening. Of course, that could only lead to one thing.

Much of the school population now had a very different idea of their relationship.

Beacon may be a school for hunters, but it was still as much a rumor mill as any other facility stuffed with teenagers. Most of them being smart enough not to say anything too loudly, the pair remained oblivious to their new position. It didn't help that they were popular subjects already, their good looks having caught the eye of just about everyone. They were practically becoming a celebrity couple, one that didn't even know they were together. Blake often found herself having to find a quiet stop to laugh after some of the things people said, and she knew Ruby was faring no better. According to their peers, it wouldn't be long before Weiss runs off with Yang to elope. Apparently it was straight out of a romance novel, something Blake refused to confirm or deny.

Well, if she really thought about it...

Yang had a certain attitude about her, matching the motorcycle-riding brawler perfectly. Weiss was the opposite, of course. Her heiress status and sometimes royal-esque demeanor made her quite the foil for the blondes leather and free spirit. On that line of thought, they did have a certain appeal. Unfortunately for those hoping to see a ring, Weiss was straight. Or, Blake thought she was. She didn't really know her well enough to say. She knew Yang just liked pretty people in general, so that wasn't an issue.

...Was she actually thinking of playing matchmaker?

It was a stupid thought. They only just started getting along, and it was not a situation they were happy with. Trying to get them into some fantasy romance would probably just destroy whatever friendship they had.

Or it would go perfectly.

Either way, she had to talk to Ruby.

* * *

Finding Ruby wasn't the hard part, instead it was remembering what she wanted to talk about. She knew her partner had taken to the gym, but she hadn't known the details. Pyrrha stood out to her first, standing tall over the crowd. Ruby was on the bench below her, the older girl acting as her spotter. Surprisingly muscled arms kept the bar moving as the redhead counted. She knew her partner was fit, but apparently she had missed something. Still nowhere near Yang's status as a brick wall, her small frame had more going on then was obvious. Ruby's shirt rode up a bit, showing off a toned stomach.

Blake's mouth went dry.

Just nerves, of course. That was definitely it. Nerves. What was she here for? She couldn't just interrupt them with nothing. A bead of sweat rolled down feint abs. How long had she been standing there? How long had she been _staring_? There was no way this was still appropriate.

Pyrrha saw her.

The girl didn't stop her count, simply waving before looking back down. A normal gesture, but for Blake it only spelled out doom. She had been _seen_. Backing out now would be a disaster. Pyrrha would no doubt mention that she saw Blake, and then Ruby would ask about it later. What would she say? She could just make something up, but she didn't even know what she was doing originally. There was no way in hell she could be honest, tell her leader that she stared at her like a creep. Yang might literally kill her for it.

She'd have to think of something quick, because Ruby was finished and standing up.

Blake had to start moving. She couldn't be seen just standing there twice, and there wasn't much time to avoid that. Ruby had to wipe down the equipment and kept Pyrrha distracted while she did, but that would last a few seconds at most. She just forced her oddly non-compliant legs to start moving, relieved that she wasn't far away.

"Hello, Blake." Pyrrha greeted, a kind smile on her face.

Ruby shot up, towel in hand, and said "Blake! What's up?"

The faunas stopped, and rushed to find something to say. "Oh, sorry to interrupt. I was just... curious."

Her apology was dismissed with a hand wave before she got a reply, "Don't worry about it. What'd ya need to know?"

"I knew you were spending time here, but I hadn't seen it myself. Looks like it's working for you."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head shyly, but Pyrrha just laughed a bit. "Yes, she's doing quite well. Though, her motivation is not quite what I expected..."

Her leader turned red and sputtered a bit. More laughs came from the amazon, leaving Blake wondering what exactly she was missing. Ruby had to clear her throat before she could say anything.

"Well, um... Blake, how would you describe me? Like, when we first met, how did I look?"

When they first met? That suddenly felt hard to answer. She could think of some very colourful descriptions for how she looked right now, but those were not for polite company. When they met, Ruby was just 15, in a cloak a bit big on her and carrying a weapon bigger than her.

"In a word? Cute."

Ruby didn't seem very happy with that answer, letting out a sigh. "I know, that's what everyone said. I asked Pyrrha for help because I wanted to look... well, y'know. Attractive, for once."

Oh. That was certainly not what she was expecting. It was working for her, but she never really thought Ruby would worry about her appearance. Maybe it was inevitable, living with Yang for so long. Should she start complimenting her? She didn't want her partner to feel lacking, and if that was how she could help...

But that might not be appropriate. It's not like they were dating, regularly telling her she looked good would absolutely send the wrong message. Well, maybe if she just kept it occasional. Like right now, when her partner had just admitted a big insecurity. It would be awkward. There was no way she was good enough at social interaction to make a reassuring comment without it being awkward. But she couldn't let her leader go on thinking she wasn't something to gawk at. In a way that didn't involve telling her she had been the one gawking, of course.

"You are. Attractive, I mean. I-it's working for you. You look good. Great. I'm rambling..."

Ruby's smile was worth every awkward moment in the world.


	5. Chapter 5

With three days left until deployment, it was time to find out just how many members of team RWBY would actually be leaving the school. Yang and Weiss had been tense all morning, through breakfast and classes. Blake wasn't sure they had said a word up to this point, at least not to each other. She couldn't really blame them, as they were facing the worst punishment their leader had ever issued. Not only that, but exactly how they were going to be evaluated was still mostly a mystery. They had kept on friendly terms, but Ruby had stated that they weren't working well enough as partners. Was she going to test them?

It seemed she would, considering the message they all received.

They were meeting in one of the training rooms, and Ruby was already waiting. If Blake were to guess, the plan was to have Yang and Weiss face against herself and their leader. Either that, or maybe against one of the other second year teams that were in the same situation. If they won, it would show that they could work together well enough to beat a pair that didn't have such a poor start. If they lost? Well...

They'd have to win.

Blake entered the room last, the library being on the other side of the building not proving helpful when it came to being on time. Her teammates were all there, and their leader was setting up the aura moniter. It wasn't something they bothered with in spars, too aware of their own reserves to need it. This was being taken seriously, and when she walked up to them she could see that the other two were anticipating something big. Ruby finished setting up, and turned to them with a smirk before saying anything.

"You two still think you can do this?"

Weiss huffed a bit at that. "Of course we are. You are well aware we haven't fought at all the last two weeks."

Ruby hummed in appreciation, "True. But you haven't fought together, either."

Yang stepped forwards a bit, "So what's the plan? Us against you n' Blake?"

Her sister had a big smile on her face. "Nope! Well, close. You two are fighting me."

Confused looks passed around. "Uh, sis? Not that you aren't awesome or anything, but aren't you hitting a bit above your weight on this one?"

While true that her chances were slim, Ruby had improved a lot in a short time. Not only that, but Yang would pick fights with just about everyone except her younger sister. The blonde was just a little too worried, no matter how well Ruby could defend herself she always thought the worst would happen. This had actually become her biggest disadvantage, she no longer knew just how good their leader was in combat. Weiss had a much better idea, but not the entire picture. If Ruby took Weiss out first, then kept her sister from landing any solid hits...

There was a chance. A small one, but she didn't have to include that part.

"I knew you two were scared of her, but you won't even fight her two-on-one. Wow."

Maybe she just wanted to tease them.

They both attempted to jump to their defense, but Ruby's loud burst of laughter cut them off before they could start. She tried to cover it with a hand, but just ended up letting out a cute snort and having to wipe her eyes.

It took a moment for her to catch her breath, and when she did her face fell a bit. With a more serious look she regarded her team, voice sounding a bit tired.

"All jokes aside, this is serious. If you don't work together you will lose. Don't take it lightly, okay?"

Weiss and Yang's eyes darted to meet each others, then back. They stood up a bit straighter, despite seeming a tad uncertain. Blake could understand the hesitance, Ruby only got like this when she really meant it.

"We wont back down. You'll have to give us your all." Weiss stated.

"I'm counting on it." Ruby replied, rather flatly.

Blake pulled out her scroll and synced it up to the monitoring system. As the only one standing out, she would act as their referee. They were using the basic system for their fights, each opponent having until they hit twenty-five percent of their aura before counting as out. While Weiss' aura was nothing to scoff at, it certainly wasn't huge. Yang, on the other hand, often simulated what it was like to fight a three brick walls lined up. Add that to their semblances and weapons, they were formidable on a bad day and demons on another. Ruby would be in for perhaps the toughest fight she'd every faced.

Luckily, she thrived in battle. Her unique style had become something of a spectacle, and when she hit her stride it was like watching the warriors of legend brought back from the dead.

The three fighters entered the ring, and settled into position. After a few moments, Blake told them to start.

In the time it took for Weiss' first glyph to be summoned, Ruby was in front of her. The reaper swung her great scythe before anyone could react, and Weiss was sent flying, easily over twenty feet of distance and twenty percent of her aura gone. Yang was on her sister as quickly as she could be, but just couldn't get a hit in. Ruby was moving faster than ever, and whenever she could she would make small jabs to Yang's sensitive spots. They didn't hurt, nor even really affect her aura, but they threw her a tiny bit off balance each time.

Weiss was on her feet once again. Ruby used her blade to sweep Yang's legs, and shot towards the fencer, hoping to get in before Myrtenaster's dust chambers could be used. She didn't. Ice shot forward and caught her leg, the strain of her sudden stop yanking at her muscles and taking some of her aura. Ruby acted fast as usual, a shot from Crescent Rose destroying the ices integrity and allowing her to break free. Unfortunately, it was enough time for the pair to recover. Fire from rapier and gauntlets rained from two sides, forcing her on the defensive. It was the last position she wanted, and staying in it would be what cost her the match. To shift the tides, she had to make a hard shot. Weiss was agile, and Ruby couldn't go two seconds without dodging a fireball. Good thing she was an excellent shot.

Weiss' head shot back as the sniper round nailed her in the forehead, taking a mean chunk of her aura.

Suddenly, she was pulled back. Yang had gotten close, and grabbed Ruby by the left arm and midsection. Not grabbing her right arm was a costly mistake. Ruby had learned a thing or two about flexibility, and it was going to pay off nicely. She allowed Yang to hold her, and used it to push herself up. One leg hooked behind the blondes head, the other crossed over and pushed against her throat. Aura prevented her from getting choked out, but it gave Ruby options.

Her scythe folded, and Yang took a heavy duty round to the inside of her knee.

Even with a large amount of aura, those rounds could hurt. Weiss was still getting up from the shot she received, and Yang collapsed like a sack of potatoes. Ruby was dropped, and she had to move quick. Her blade unfolded once again, and she went straight for the recovering heiress. A glyph appeared under its caster, an attempt to get out of the way, but it was too late. Crescent Rose sung as it cut through the air, and it struck Weiss cleanly in the throat. She toppled backwards over herself, and was left with little aura after it had been cleaved asunder. Yang was on her feet, her semblance starting to flare. The shot to her knee had cost her a lot, but it had been enough to give her a boost.

This was where Ruby would struggle.

She couldn't treat it like Weiss, taking her down before she could properly act. Her best bet would be to outlast her sister, whittling her down slowly so her semblance didn't gain anymore. The main issue with that was her scythe, which simply wasn't built of slow. Though it was a good extension for the small hits, they didn't do enough to end the fight. Ruby took more damage than she would have liked from Weiss, the ice having tried to pull her leg from the socket. She could already feel how sore it was. If she got Yang close but didn't close out, it would only take a hit or two for it to become a loss.

She didn't have much more time for thinking, as Yang was on her once again. She was able to stay a step ahead, dodging strikes quite gracefully. The issue would be striking back, Ruby could already feel the heat from her sisters semblance. She couldn't stop for a moment, and the arena was slowly getting covered in her rose petals. She poked a few times, small hits getting in where they could. It didn't do much, Yang just getting frustrated. Ruby simply didn't have the time, she'd have to try and take her down more forcefully. Not try to out power the brawler, mind you, instead needing to overwhelm her in a way she couldn't fight against.

Her scythe was happy to take part in this new plan.

Rapid strikes struck at Yang, coming from alternating sides. She was being thrown off balance bit by bit, and it meant she couldn't quite keep a bid on her sister. Her fire was roaring, semblance greedily taking as much fuel as it could. The reaper had gotten daring, it seemed. Yang roared, and her left hand struck out, colliding with Crescent Rose. The scythe and its wielder were thrown off, and a jab from her right into Ruby's gut had her stumbling back.

Ruby tried plan C.

She became a whirlwind, pushing her semblance to the limit. She would attack from one side, and be at the other before Yang could hit back. It was a game that the brawler couldn't win, not as it was. Her aura was running out, and her semblance was giving its final flares. She was being blinded, the fire pushing her anger deep into her skull. She stomped a foot down to her right, and caught Ruby's cloak under her heel. Her fist rocketed into her sisters face, shattering the last of her aura.

Without aura, there was nothing to protect the cloak from tearing.


	6. Chapter 6

The sound made Blake feel sick to her stomach, but the sight was even worse. Ruby was on her knees, pushing herself up. Her nose was oozing blood, covering her upper lip and dripping onto the floor. There was an ugly bruise already starting to show on her right cheekbone, and a short piece of her torn cloak hung limply from her shoulders. Yang was shocked still, eyes wide and pale. Red irises returned to violet, and she rushed over to her sister.

"Ruby! I'msosorry, are you okay?"

The younger girl waved her off. She was completely silent as she stood, a shaking hand wiping at her bloodied face. Ruby's eyes traced over her cloak where it layed discarded on the floor, and her chin quivered out of her control. She shook her head and blinked rapidly, repelling the tears that threatened to fall. Yang was barely holding herself back from embracing her, and she hadn't stopped apologizing. Ruby took a deep breath and held it, exhaling slowly.

"You aren't ready."

Yang was stammering horridly, "W-what?"

Their leader was living up to her title once again, face settling into a firm expression. The drying blood was a nice touch to the image. "You failed."

Weiss had been next to Blake after her elimination, but had walked up to the sisters to join the conversation. "Ruby, we won the fight. That's what you said we had to do."

"No, you were supposed to win by working together. Instead, you didn't even say a word to each other."

Yang hesitated a moment before starting, "We know our communication needs work, but-"

She was cut off. "You're _still_ not getting the point. If you had made a plan, I wouldn't have been able to take out Weiss like that. And you know what the worst part is?"

Ruby leaned in closer ot the blonde, her gaze unflinching. " _Grimm don't stop, Yang_. She could be dead right now, and you could have prevented it."

Yang looked like she had been slapped. Ruby turned and left the room, leaving her team behind. The tattered cloak layed on the floor, making for a depressing scene.

Blake followed after her partner.

Finding her was easy, she had gone straight to their dorm. Ruby was on Blake's bed, staring at the ground. Her hood was unclipped and laying on the floor. It was quiet, deafeningly so. It was a painful sight, to see someone look so empty. Blake sat next to her, not really sure of what she could do. Luckily, Ruby seemed to. The younger girls head dropped onto her shoulder, and she let out a dreary sigh.

"Why can't I be a good leader, Blake?"

"You are a good leader."

Ruby nudged in a bit closer. "Not really. I should have fixed this so long ago. You're my team- my _responsibility_. And now what? I just ignore them until I snap. Can barely talk to my own sister. You're the only person I haven't screwed up with, and I don't even know why you tolerate me."

To say Blake was surprised was a severe understatement. Where had she hidden all this doubt?

"Ruby, I don't _tolerate_ you- I actually like spending time with you. Why would you think that?"

"Because I'm just some dumb kid, Blake. You aren't. I can't even imagine how bad I must have been when we met, and now you're stuck with me."

Ruby's head lifted and she scooted away, hands reaching up to wipe away the tears that had started to fall. Blake reached out desperately, trying to offer comfort in any way she could.

"I just want things to stay nice for a while. Every time, something just has to go wrong. I get in to my dream school, but my partner hates me. I'm one of the best in our year, and nobody even cares. I _finally_ get the guts to try for a date, and I get called a creepy dyke. What did I do wrong?"

Blake moved in close, wrapping her arms around her leader and holding tight. What kind of a team were they, when they couldn't even notice their youngest was hurting? Her heart ached, and Ruby was just sobbing. At this rate, she might start crying herself. Blake layed them down, pulling her partner in. She had seen so many people be broken down by the weight of the world, she would not let the same happen to Ruby. Tears slowed until only sniffles remained, and those didn't last. They laid together, finding peace hidden from everything else. It was getting late, the light from the sun couldn't reach them anymore.

"They'll be back soon."

Ruby stiffened, then panicked. She pushed away from Blake and out of the bed, ending up gracelessly falling to the floor.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't trying anything, I swear!"

"Wha- what are you talking about?"

"I told you I was a... Y'know. I'd never try something without asking! D-do you hate me? It's okay if you do..."

She was nearly talking faster than Blake could hear. It took her brain a second to catch up, but when it did?

 _Just what had people been saying to this girl?_

"No, I don't hate you. You can't control who you are. I know that better than anyone."

Ruby looked rather stunned, as if she couldn't imagine hearing something like that.

" _Thank you_. Thank you so much. You're the only one- besides my family- that didn't... that didn't say I was..."

Blake's heart was shattering. How _dare_ they? They looked at one of the most kind hearted people she had ever encountered, and they claimed there was something wrong with her? It was like every horrid childhood memory was coming back.

"Oh, Ruby..."

"I'm okay! Really, I'll be alright."

It wasn't even close to convincing. Blake reached up and tugged of her bow, setting it off to the side. She lifted up her blanket and slid under it, not caring to change out of her combat outfit. She held the blanket open, and beckoned Ruby over.

"Come on, I think we could both use some warmth tonight."

Ruby hesitated, but slowly climbed in next to her. Blake took the girl into her arms, and snuggled in close. She'd be there for her leader, no matter what. Nobody was ever going to make her doubt who she was again.

Sleep came quickly.

* * *

The next day, Ruby was avoiding her. Waking up in each others arms was a bit awkward, but Blake thought they would have a chance to talk after. Instead, she was only catching blurs and petals after her partner sped off. It was conflicting, She wanted to just ambush the girl and not let her go until they were okay again. The more she thought of it, the worse it sounded. Ruby would not respond well, and she'd just make it worse. She could just try to wait it out, but it was gnawing at her. There was really only one good option, and it wasn't one she was very excited about.

She'd have to ask Yang about it instead.

While she knew the blonde could be the most mature of them all when it counted, she also knew that when it came to things that troubled Ruby she could be...brash. At best. Though Blake didn't really have much choice, especially considering she was already entering their dorm. Yang was already there, skipping out on grimm studies to finish a late paper. Violet eyes looked to her when she entered, and a grin appeared on the brawlers face.

"Blake, skipping out? I knew I was rubbing off on you!"

The faunas rolled her eyes. "This is important, Yang. I need to talk to you."

The brawler straightened a bit, her face taking a more serious expression. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"

Blake found herself struggling to find the words. "Well...Ruby and I talked, yesterday. There was...and admission."

Yang looked a lot more shocked than she should with so little information. "What? Really? Is that why you two were cuddling? Man, she works fast."

"...At what, exactly?"

The blondes eyes widened, "Err...maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. What did you two talk about?"

Blake's eye twitched a bit, but she let it slide. "She was pretty upset. I was trying to help, and she said she had been called...some pretty bad things. I don't think she meant to, she was just breaking down."

A pained look spread across Yang's face. "Did she tell you why she was called that stuff?"

"Yeah. I tried to reassure her that there was nothing wrong, but she hasn't talked to me all day. I just don't know how to help."

Yang nodded. "I know how that feels. It's not the first time, but I was always there before. Ruby...lets it build up. Eventually, she just boils over. People on patch were nice enough, but some of the kids were pretty ignorant. Well, that's the nice way of saying it. When I came out, it was mostly just dismissed as experimentation or whatever. I thought that was bad, but when Ruby followed my lead...It was _bad_.

I never really tried to date back then. Ruby did. She's always had a lot of love to give, I guess. Afterwards, she'd always come home a mess. I nearly killed some of those girls for what they said, I just couldn't believe it. How could they be so cruel to _Ruby_? She'd come back in tears, with drinks poured on her...It was awful. Those were the only times she really talked about that stuff."

If Blake's heart had broken the night before, the shards were being crushed now.

"Y'know, I thought being here would stop it. Like, if she was away from Patch, she could finally forget about those people. Guess that stuff doesn't just go away. Man, she even forgave me for ripping her cloak. Her cloak! What happened that has her so messed up if she could manage to forgive me for that?"

Blake could think of something.

"You said she only talked about it after...a rejection."

"...Oh, man. I didn't even think she might have a crush I didn't know about. Especially after the last one..."

"Last one?"

"Uh- Well- You can't tell her I said any of this, okay?" Blake nodded. "Well, she's sorta had this on and off thing for a friend. She'll take the chance with people she doesn't know too much, but when it's a friend it terrifies her. I don't know how it doesn't terrify her every time, but she's always been a toughie. Maybe she thought she could meet someone else and not have to risk anything, I dunno."

"Can I do anything for her?"

Yang nodded. "Sure you can. She probably wont talk to you till tomorrow, she needs time to feel like she can without that happening again. When she does talk to you, you just gotta show her you don't think of her any different. I mean, being a bit extra nice wouldn't _hurt_ , but she just wants to know you understand."

Blake could relate. "Should I buy her sweets?"

Yang laughed. "Keep this up, you'll be her favourite in no time."


	7. Chapter 7

She looked for Weiss next, as Ruby was still making herself scarce. Surprisingly, Weiss found her instead.

"You seem to have forgotten that I was her partner first, and will be when this is over. I am perfectly capable of advising you on all matters that concern Ruby."

Blake couldn't really deny her that.

They sat together on a small bench on the edge of campus, where a row of small trees kept them largely hidden from anyone else. Weiss let out a weary sigh before she said anything further.

"It only happened once since we got here, and luckily it wasn't until a year into our partnership."

"Luckily?"

Weiss scoffed. "Could you imagine if it was earlier? I was so blinded by my father, and the nicest thing he would call Ruby would be more offensive than I dare say. Had I discovered her orientation any sooner, I would have ruined our relationship forever."

"Ruby is very forgiving."

"Yes, but you should know better than anyone that some lines can only be crossed once."

She did know that, and apparently hadn't been as aware of Weiss' growth as she should have.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"That's why we're having this conversation, Blake. But you _cannot_ tell Yang. That was the condition Ruby set, and you will have to meet it."

Blake was curious, but concerned. If her leader had just wanted to keep her sister from worrying, wouldn't she have asked the same of Blake after their talk? Had this event really been that bad?

"I promise."

Weiss nodded. "Good. I don't know if you recall, but on our first mission as partners instead of a team, Ruby and I's airship was delayed for two days. We ended up staying in the local inn, which was unhygienic but better than the woods. There was a waitress who was being...exceptionally friendly, especially considering it was already ten at night.

I didn't think anything of it, bur Ruby got the hint. She left our room again shortly after we set up, and I blamed it on her speed requiring high calorie consumption. She didn't return until it was nearing midnight."

"...What happened?"

The heiress shook her head just a bit, and looked as though the memory was a very uncomfortable one.

"Weiss?"

"Ah- Right. Sorry. I had turned in early, and that was a mistake. Ruby has always been weak to her swet tooth, and the waitress had happily kept her supplied with a local apple cider. Of course, she failed to mention that it was alcoholic. Her plan was to get Ruby drunk and take her upstairs to...to..."

Weiss quit trying to get the words out, and swallowed the lump in her throat. She took a deep breath and let it out, but it was shaky.

"They got all the way up to her door before Ruby figured out something was wrong. If she didn't have the metabolism she does, I'm not sure she would have been so lucky. When she came back to our room, she was terrified. I was woken up so suddenly, I could barely understand a thing she said. It was the most scared I've ever seen her."

No wonder she didn't want Yang to know. Ruby was still seventeen back then, not old enough to consent or drink. If the brawler found out someone tried to...

The entire town would be ash.

"Ruby was not in good condition after that. I reported it to the owners, but she didn't want authorities involved. We camped out for the last day, and spent many of our study sessions talking after we returned to Beacon."

She and Yang had no idea. Seemingly that was what Ruby wanted, but that didn't make Blake feel any better about it. Being in the White Fang had made her familiar with many people who had been taken advantage of, but she hadn't even thought it could happen to Ruby.

"I hope you realize what I will do to you if you hurt her."

Blake's eyes widened. " _What_?"

Weiss just quirked an eyebrow. "You think it's not obvious? If you are pursuing her, you must commit to her happiness."

Her throat had clogged. _Pursuing_ her? "I'm not trying to date her, Weiss."

The girl looked a bit shocked. "...Oh. Sorry to assume."

"What exactly made you think I was?"

"Ah, well...You two seem to be getting along quite well, and I may have heard one too many of Yang's theories on why."

Yang seemed dead set on getting her a love life, but why she was so certain it would be with Ruby?

"Has Ruby said anything about me?"

"I thought you weren't interested."

Blake felt her cheeks heat up a bit. "I just...If she has, I don't want to hurt her."

Weiss gave her a look that was understanding, but rather sad. "She hasn't said anything, no. Unfortunate, you'd make a good pair."

"Are you actually matchmaking right now?"

The fencer smiled. "Just teasing. Though I have to ask, do you know what happened this time around?"

It had completely slipped her mind. Yang said that something there must have been something, but Ruby hadn't said anything if there was.

"No, I don't. She didn't even mean to tell me anything, and what she did say could've been from any time."

Weiss scratched at her chin a bit in contemplation. "I suppose you will have to ask Ruby herself. That is, assuming there was anyone."

Confrontation was far from Blake's strong suit, and though it wasn't exactly what this was it still felt daunting. What if Ruby hated her for going behind her back on this? Not that Ruby seemed to hate anyone, but Blake was more in a state of anxiety than logic.

No matter the turn out, it would not be an easy conversation.

* * *

Being found by two of the three people she looked for that day was not very complimentary of her tracking skills. She was walking past the gym when Ruby nearly collided with her, panting heavily.

"Blake!" She exclaimed, but the faunas didn't hear it.

Ruby had clearly stopped mid workout, and it was just as horribly distracting as the first time. Her shirt was glued to her body, and sweat rolled down her neck. Weiss would have the _smuggest_ look if she saw this, and Yang would be even worse. Blake suddenly jolted to life, realizing she was supposed to have said something instead of just ogling her leader.

"Er- Ah- Ruby!"

Smooth.

The younger girl gave her a bit of an odd look, but continued, "Err, can we talk? I told Yang to take Weiss somewhere so we can have the dorm."

Blake cleared her throat, finding it rather dry. "Right. Yes. Let's go."

Sometimes she honestly wondered how she managed to speak to anyone. She didn't even try on the walk to their room, and they ended up with a rather awkward silence. Not that Blake trying to talk to a Ruby in workout clothes still damp and clinging would have been any less awkward, of course. Luckily the walk was short, and once the door closed they had their privacy.

It took a few more uncomfortable seconds before Ruby started talking. "I, um...wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have just dumped all that stuff on you the other night, and then I felt so bad I didn't talk to you right away..."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. You don't need my problems on your mind."

"Ruby, I care about you. I want to help."

Her leaders expression looked pained, but her cheeks were a tad red. "You deserve so much better than me, Blake."

"There is no one better."

"Don't do this to me."

Amber eyes narrowed. "Don't do what?"

"I know you, and I know you went straight to Yang. Don't tell me you can't figure this out."

"Tell me."

"Don't make me think I have a chance, Blake."

 _Oh_. Well. There it was. Out in the open.

To be honest, Blake didn't really have any experience with romance. Romance novels, sure, but she had never really gone through it herself. The closest was Adam, and she never felt for him what he claimed to for her. Ruby, though...

Attraction was one thing. She found Yang attractive. Weiss, too. Beacon was full of attractive people. Ruby was...something else. Maybe something more. She was taking too long to respond, now. The silence was ugly, and her partners expression was getting worse by the second. She had to say something, but she also needed to get out of this room. Just leaving was not an option, hurting Ruby was not an option.

She would have to be honest about something she wasn't entirely ready to face.

"...You do. Have a chance."

And then she ran.


	8. Chapter 8

Blake always ran.

It was one of the things she hated about herself. One of many things. What was she thinking? How could she date with so much baggage? Ruby didn't deserve this.

...She was picturing it, though. Going out to dinner, or a quiet walk through a park. She could imagine Ruby's arms around her on a cold night, pressing soft kisses against her cheek. Calloused hands running over her hips, those red lips slowly coming up to her own...

Oh, she was _doomed_.

They would be leaving on assignment in two days, and would have to spend many more together. Alone. Camping out, where nobody would interrupt them. She _really_ had to stop thinking about it. Or, save it for when she wasn't in public.

Okay, maybe dating Ruby would be a good thing. A really good thing. She just...had to take the first step. Well, she had already sort of taken the first step. Now she had to actually make sure Ruby knew what she meant.

 _'...You do. Have a chance.'_

Talk about vague. Was her leader going to ask her out? It kind of seems like that's what she asked for. Would it be weird to ask Ruby out? No, she was over thinking it. How would she even ask? Saunter up, 'hey Ruby, do you wanna go to Vale for cake and kisses?' Well, that might actually work. She should really just get it done, shouldn't she? Ruby would understand her running off, right? Of course she would, she was the most forgiving person Blake had ever known.

She started walking back towards their dorm, heart hammering loudly. There was a lump in her throat, dragging it's way down on every swallow. Her legs felt heavy as she forced them to move. Anxiety was flooding through her, whispering about every possible bad outcome.

It was a battle she couldn't win yet. She turned and took the first exit, trying to get as far away from her partner as possible.

* * *

Blake didn't return until it was dark.

She had hoped to avoid waking her team, but Ruby was already awake. Her leader sat outside their room in her pajamas, back against the wall. Their gazes met, and Blake's heart skipped a beat. It was hard to read Ruby's expression, to figure out how she was feeling. Unsure of how to proceed, she sat down next to her...whatever they were right now.

Ruby spoke first. "I'm sorry, Blake."

"For what?"

"For putting you on the spot like that. You were just trying to help and I...I totally made it weird."

Blake's bow twitched. "Don't worry about it. I think I made it weird, too."

Ruby giggled. "Maybe a little. But, um...Did you mean it?"

The faunas' face started to flush, and an involuntary whine escaped her at the prospect of affirming her affections.

Unfortunately, her leader took the whine as a worse sign than it was. "B-because it's okay if you weren't. I mean, if you just wanted to make me feel better. Really, I understa-"

Her voice acted faster than Blake could control, interrupting her partner with a rushed " _Ishouldbeyourgirlfriend_."

Silver eyes blinked confusedly. "W-What?"

"I should be your girlfriend."

"...Really? I mean, 'cause you're, like, _gorgeous_ and I'm just...me."

"Ruby, you aren't _just_ you." Blake said. "You're _you_ , and that's who I want."

Her leader was blushing now. "I-I want you, too. Just, y'know, have you _seen_ my sister? I don't really compare..."

Blake had a feeling saying this would end up biting her, but she had to see how Ruby would react to it. "I happen to think you're pretty sexy."

Ruby's face lit up and she started stammering incoherently. Blake was blushing as well, but the younger girl practically practically had steam rising off of her. The faunas giggled a bit, feeling her nerves finally relaxing.

In moments like these, it was easy to forget that fate was cruel.

She was still stammering, but Ruby managed to reply "W-well, I-I think you're pretty sexy too, _babe_."

Sudden, barking laughter shot out from their dorm. It was pretty obviously Yang, and they could even hear her slapping her knee as she laughed uncontrollably. Weiss' voice started piped up, reprimanding the blonde for interrupting. All in all, a pretty thorough way to ruin the mood.

Faces bright red, the subjects of her mirth quickly ran in to the dorm room so they could shut the door before Yang woke up their entire year. The brawler was desperately trying to wipe tears from her eyes, and to collect her composure. Ruby sped over to grab a pillow and then tackled her sister, attempting to smother her with it. They really just ended up rolling around on the floor, Yang's laughter muffled but far from over.

Blake looked over at Weiss, and found herself seeing a rare sight. The heiress had a hand over her mouth, and was shaking. The giggles were being contained, but not by much. Weiss let a few coughs into her palm, getting herself under control. She looked Blake in the eyes, her face flat.

After a moment, Weiss' spoke. "Remember to use protection."

With that, the flood gates were opened once again. Yang was howling in laughter, kicking her sister off and rolling on to her side. Completely undignified giggles were pouring out of the heiress, occasionally leading to tiny snorts as she struggled to breath.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

It took a full half hour for their teammates to calm down, and they ended up talking on their beds. Well, Weiss and Yang were on their beds. Blake and taken Ruby to hers, figuring it couldn't get worse than what they had already gone through.

"Exactly how much of that did you two hear?" The faunas asked.

"Enough to know you got it bad for my sis."

The black and red pair groaned, leaning into each other.

Weiss stepped in, "Now Yang, the proper term would be _enamored_."

Of course they had to end up with teammates who not only thought they were funny, but were becoming quite skilled at making each other laugh. If they didn't put a stop to this, they'd be laughing until the morning. Luckily, Blake wasn't the only one to notice this.

Ruby got off the bed and crossed the room in a moment, switching off the light before returning.

"Okay, everybody to bed! Next one of you to talk will be cleaning the bathroom for a week!"

Yang and Weiss gave off some grumbles, but slid under their sheets without real complaint. Blake reached up and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, pulling her down to the bed. She pulled her blanket over them and snuggled in close, enjoying the smaller girls warmth.

"We're going to have to talk to them in the morning." Blake whispered.

"Shut up and cuddle me." Ruby replied.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **I just want to give a quick thanks to all my readers and reviewers, I didn't expect anyone to stick around past the first chapter but it's really great to see I was wrong.**

 **Other than that, I feel as though the summary for this story isn't really clear. I think these eight chapters could honestly count as a prologue more so than the actually story. This fic is not about how Ladybug get together, though it may have seemed that way at first, but instead how an awkward first relationship becomes more serious and loving over time.**

 **Because of that, I don't expect this story to end for a fairly long time. I will try to keep this updated at least once a week, but that may not always be the case.**

 **Until next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

While normally Blake was far from a morning person, her new sleeping arrangement made being up early quite pleasant.

She snuggled forwards, taking in the smell of roses. Gently, her hand ran through short dark locks, and wondered when Ruby found the time to dye her tips without them noticing. The faunas could actually feel the goofy grin forming on her face, and buried it into the crook of her girlfriends neck. A familiar, unmistakable rumble started in her chest, and her cheeks flushed. There was no real way to stop it, and she would have to hope that nobody woke up before it finished.

A stifled giggle from the girl she was snuggling proved she wouldn't be that lucky.

Blake froze, then angled herself to look up at Ruby. Silver eyes stared back at her filled with laughter, the younger girl trying her hardest to keep the giggles in. Blake's face went bright red, her purring was something she had really wanted to stay secret.

"You know..." Ruby started, "...If you wanted to cuddle more, you coulda just said so."

The faunas let out a pained groan. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just before you smelled me."

Another groan from the raven haired girl, and Ruby laughed. In trying to stop herself she bit her lip, and Blake felt her pulse rise. Blushing, she disentangled herself from her girlfriend and sat up. She spoke with a hushed voice, "Ruby, we should probably talk. About us. I mean...what we're comfortable with."

The girl followed her up with a bit of a panicked look. "Oh, yeah...did I do something?"

"No no no, I'm- I'm worried that I'll do something. I don't want to hurt you."

Ruby smiled. "Aw, Blake." She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to the taller girls cheek. "Is that okay?"

Blake nodded. "I'm more worried about what you're comfortable with."

"Well, I've never really been in a relationship before...but I trust you. If you're not sure about something, just ask, okay?"

"Of course. Same goes for you."

Her leader blushed a bit. "Well, you can do that stuff you were doing whenever you want. And kisses. Kisses are good."

Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to Ruby's nose. "Yes, kisses _are_ good."

Ruby smiled at her, then rubbed the back of her head nervously. "After the mission, do you want to go on a date?"

"Definitely."

"Great! So, we're...girlfriends?"

"That's how I've been thinking of it."

Her Rose had a thoughtful look, "My girlfriend Blake...I like how that sounds."

If hearts could literally melt, Blake's was long gone. She leaned back in to press kisses to Ruby's face, enjoying how the girl giggled and squirmed. It took a minute before her leader spoke up.

"N-Not that I want to stop you, but Weiss' alarm is going off in ten minutes, so how about some revenge?"

Blake couldn't help the grin, her girlfriend could be quite the imp when she wanted to be. "What have you got in mind?"

"Well, Weiss sleeps like a rock, and Yang is worse. So, we can put them in the same bed without waking them."

She could already imagine their faces when they woke up, and If the blonde had any of her sisters cuddly tendencies...

"I'm in."

Ruby grinned like the little demon she was. "Great. I'll carry Weiss up, can you scoot Yang to the edge?"

Blake raised an eyebrow. If she did that, Ruby would have to lift the heiress over her partner to get her on the bed. "Why?"

"'Cause I wanna see Weiss kick her off the bed."

Ah, of course.

Blake used her own bed as a step so she could reach onto Yang's, and slowly pulled the sleeping girl closer to her. Ruby didn't take long to get over to them, carrying the fencer like she weighed nothing. Though, that might not be far off from her actual weight. Her leader laid Weiss' down, and left her just close enough for Yang to bump into her. It took a few moments, but the brawler reached out and caught the intruder in a bear hug. Weiss made a small noise of complaint, and Yang quickly pulled her in for a cuddle. The heiress squirmed for a second, but settled in and wrapped her arms around the blondes waist.

"I want to laugh," Ruby said. "But this is just cute."

Blake couldn't disagree.

Ten minutes past quickly enough, and the sound of Weiss' alarm began to fill the air. They could hear the tell-tale grumbling of an heiress waking up, and it was only a matter of seconds before she realized where she was. While some amount of indignant screeching was to be expected, instead all they heard was a gasp. Afterwards, the heiress fell silent, and the alarm was the only noise left in their dorm.

That is, until Yang started to wake up.

"Weissss, turn it ooooff..."

The Weiss in question let out a high-pitched yelp, and Yang wasn't just sent off the bed- she was sent flying across the room and into Ruby's. As in, the side of Ruby's. She then crashed halfway through it, and brought it down upon the bed below. The light of a glyph faded, and Weiss poked her head over the edge.

"...Yang?"

Laying in the debris of two wrecked bed frames, Yang Xiao-Long could only say one thing; "Ow."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They were reamed by Ms. Goodwitch for an hour straight, and only managed to avoid serious punishment by keeping the destruction contained.

"I can have proper bunk beds in place within the month." She stated. "Of course you should have requested them _over a year ago_ , but I suppose having to share two beds will be punishment enough. Though make no mistake, if this ever happens again I will have you in detention from now until graduation. Understood?"

"Yes, Ms. Goodwitch." Replied team RWBY, with a response they were well practiced in.

The stern teacher nodded once, then left them standing in their hall. With a unified sigh of relief, the four girls marched back into their dorm. Weiss turned to face them, clearing her throat.

"Yang, I'm sorry."

"Oh, yeah...don't worry about it."

"No, that was completely unacceptable. If we had been on a mission, or if you hadn't had aura...that could have been a fatal mistake."

"...Right. Well, apology accepted."

Weiss seemed to accept that. She turned to the rest of her team, and her face swiftly turned to a scowl. "That was perhaps the most immature thing you two have ever done."

Ruby scoffed. "Please. I already have that beat." She pulled out her scroll, and started showing off the long series of photos she took before the alarm went off. Weiss' face went pale.

"...Ruby, how many people are in possession of those images?"

Their leader tapped her chin in thought. "Oh, you know- me an' Blake, I sent you both copies, and Pyrrha, and Penny, and Velvet, and the entire Beacon staff, and uncle Qrow...I think that's everybody."

Weiss looked like she might kill everyone in the room. Yang was blushing, an uncommon sight, and look unsure of how to react.

Ruby started laughing.

She didn't bother trying to hide it, instead she just let it out. Weiss only looked more and more frustrated, and it was making Ruby's hysterics even louder. Eventually she started to pull it back, occasionally letting out cute snorts.

"Man, Weiss...you shoulda seen your face!"

The heiress let out what was perhaps the weariest sigh ever uttered. "How many people actually have them?"

"Just us four. And Goodwitch."

"Uh, Rubes?" Yang asked. "Why send them to Ms. G?"

"How do ya think we got off easy? She loves pictures of cute things."

"Is _that_ why you haven't gotten detention all year?!" Yang exclaimed. "Cute pictures?"

"Yup. Pretty sure she has more pics of Zwei than I do at this point."

Yang looked like her entire world was flipped upside down. She raised her hands, and just sort of...slowly moved them about as if she couldn't process what she had just learned.

"I'm- I'm just going to go back to bed."

"Ah, yes." Weiss said. "As we are already missing, we might as well discuss our sleeping situation now."

Yang laughed. "Not much to discuss, princess. The lovebirds are gonna leave us to fend for ourselves while they snuggle up a storm."

Ruby blushed. "Yaaaaaang..."

"What? It's true. Guess you're gonna have to get used to waking up next to me, Weissy."

The heiress' faced flushed with heat. "I suppose we have no choice."

"Don't worry Weiss," Ruby offered. "Blake and I are gonna be gone for the first few days, so you'll probably only have to sleep with her every night for like two weeks or so."

Believe it or not, that didn't help.


	10. Chapter 10

The Howling Wood, a dense forest at the north end of Vale's continent. Featuring a heavy population of grimm and frequent snow storms carried over the sea from Atlas, it wasn't very surprising the nearby villages occasionally requested aid. In fact, it was probably more surprising that those villages were still standing, but perhaps that was simply a testament to how stubborn people could be. It was unusual, however, that they were taking students instead of graduated hunters. One would think this was simply because the job they had was simple, and they wouldn't have to offer too significant a bounty.

That assumption would quickly be dashed when it became clear the target was a Lauftef.

While most of the names for grimm types had been taken from old tales or poetry, these were named after a person. A hunter, in fact, whose semblance allowed him to mimic the voices of people he met. An extraordinary ability, one that could be used for any number of things.

Lauftef used it to bait people into the woods, where he would kill and eat them.

It took two hours after his crimes were initially discovered for him to be caught and executed. The very next day, an unknown grimm was spotted in the woods. Some claimed Lauftef was innocent, that it had been the grimm, but those voices quieted when it made its first kill. It didn't eat, but it would try. The closest it could get was to tear its victims to pieces, leaving behind a pile of chewed flesh and cracked bones. The grimm couldn't have been what had eaten those people, though it acted like it was. In fact, it was one of the very few grimm that interacted with corpses, and the only one that attempted to consume them. Too much to be a coincidence, the locals named it after the previous man eating monster.

Normally students would not be sent anywhere near a Lauftef, but with a high mortality rate there wasn't always enough licensed hunters to take every job. Blake found herself staring down at the information on her scroll, sitting in the headmasters office. Ruby was doing the same, no doubt feeling even more pressure as the leader.

"We understand if you would like to take a different assignment." Ozpin said, breaking them out of thought. "This will be the most dangerous creature you have faced so far. I will not ask you to take such a risk if you are not absolutely certain about it."

Blake wanted to say no, to say that the risk was just too high, but as most third year teams were either off campus or recovering from their own missions they were one of the few pairs available that the headmaster could have any confidence in sending. If they didn't take it, Beacon would have to keep offering it until someone did, and they could have much worse odds. Not only that, but the payment...

An average job for a student would bring in somewhere between four hundred and ten thousand lien. Third years could sometimes get upwards of thirty, but it was uncommon.

This offered eighty-seven thousand.

Split two ways, it would still be the most money she ever had. Looking to her side, Ruby seemed equally conflicted. If they had their full team it would be an easy decision, but being split up was a major disadvantage.

"I can go alone." Ruby said, voice firm.

Blake felt her heart clench. " _What_?"

Her girlfriend looked guilty, but resigned. "It's a big risk, but they need the help. You- I want you to be _safe_."

"And so you want to get yourself killed? _No_. We go together, or not at all."

"...You sure?"

"Yes."

Ruby swallowed the lump in her throat before turning to Ozpin. "Okay." She said. "We'll take it."

Their headmaster nodded once, then leaned back in his chair. "The airship leaves in two hours. Aside from packing thoroughly, I recommend you speak with your team. While I have utmost confidence in your abilities, you never know when it will be the last time."

The two got out of their chairs silently, and started to march for the door.

Glynda stopped them. "You two..." Her voice was softer than usual. "...Dress warm, and _come back_."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

If the decision was hard, watching the reactions of their team was nigh impossible.

Protests were immediate and loud. Even know, as they stood at the outside docks, their feelings on the matter were crystal clear. Yang had a deep frown on her face, and her fists were clenched. Weiss was clearly trying not to show her emotions, but her eye kept twitching and she had barely said a word. They weren't angry, they were terrified. Hunters didn't tend to live to old age, especially not the self destructive ones.

Well, Blake was self destructive. Ruby was self sacrificial.

"We'll be alright." Ruby stated. "You know we will."

"No." Weiss followed. "I'm afraid we don't, and I believe we'd rather have you alive."

A sigh. "They need our help."

"Then at least take us with you!" Yang interrupted, her voice having gained a slight shake.

"You two still have your own issues to work out, and Lauftef need stealth to hunt. Blake and I are the only stealthy ones on the team."

Yang huffed. "Fine. Just...don't die, okay?"

A flash of guilt of Ruby's face, but she returned to a neutral expression. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She snapped it shut and boarded their ship, not offering a goodbye.

"If anyone could make this work, it's Ruby." Blake offered. "We'll be okay."

"Yeah, I know, just...keep an eye on her."

"Yang." Weiss scolded. "I'm sure Blake is already worried about her beau without you adding to it."

"...Sorry."

"It's fine." The faunas said. "Don't destroy the dorm while we're out."

With that, Blake walked on to the airship to reunite with her leader. Ruby was seated, her backpack on the floor by her feet. Silver eyes flicked over to Blake as she sat down.

"That's the last thing that Yang said to mom. Didn't want her to leave, and she was young...asking her not to die was the only thing she could do."

"Ruby..."

"Sorry." Her girlfriends eyes lacked their usual shine. "I knew she wouldn't take it well, but I hoped it would go a bit smoother."

It's okay. We're in this together."

Seeing a smile on Ruby's face took more stress from Blake's shoulders than she cared to admit.

"Oh, I wanted to show you something..." Her girlfriend said, trailing off she she dug into her backpack. "...Aha, check this out!"

It was her cloak. Or, what was left of it. The tattered end had been trimmed off, and it was now only long enough to just pass her shoulders.

"Now I have a hood I can clip to whatever I'm wearing, and I don't have to carry the whole thing around. Neat, huh?"

"Very. And...you seem to have taken it very well."

Ruby shifted a bit. "Well, I geuss...so much has changed in, what, a few days? Maybe it's time for a change. That's what mom would want, I think."

"I'm sure she's proud." Blake said. "And I wish I could have met her."

"...You could. I mean, I visit her grave every year. M-maybe it's too early, but if you wanted to..."

"I'd like that."

Resting her head on the faunas' shoulder, Ruby let out a sigh. "Thank you, Blake."

"For what?"

"You make me really happy. I know it's been, like, no time at all, but I didn't know if I'd ever get to feel this way."

Blake's heart had picked up a habit of horrible pain whenever Ruby felt any sadness, and she could feel the dull ache growing in her chest.

"Ruby." She started, feeling desperate to give comfort. "Anyone would be lucky to have you. _I'm_ lucky to have you."

"You're gonna make me blush."

"Good."

The reaper giggled, and Blake felt the pressure back off.

"Seriously, Blake..." Ruby said. "In case something happens, thank you for giving me the chance to be so happy."

Blake felt her eyes water. Just what was this girl doing to her?

"Ruby, we''re going to be fine. We''ll come back, and we'll be going on dates, and you don't get to think we wont."

A sheepish look from her leader. "Sorry, I- no, you're right." Ruby tilted her head up to press a kiss to her girlfriends chin.

They fell silent, and Blake knew this was someone she couldn't lose.


	11. Chapter 11

Blake wasn't fond of the cold.

Unfortunately for her, Lyreholm was nestled deep in the grasp of winter.

It didn't help that she didn't have any winter gear when she came to beacon. They weren't a necessity in the Fang, and simply slipped her mind. When her teammates found out she was dragged all around Vale, and into every store that sold anything clothing related. Dark gloves, pants, scarf and hat all came from Yang- her partner claimed the outfit need some color but didn't push too much. A fancy white coat from Weiss and sturdy boots from Ruby meant she was warmer than she had any right to be when in a foot of snow.

"Hey Blake, d'you think we have time to make a snowman?"

The faunas laughed. "Probably not. On the way back?"

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried, but Ruby was keeping her grounded. The girl seemed to find light in any dark, something Blake needed. It had taken a full day to get to Lyreholm, long enough they had to sleep on the plane, but being with her girlfriend made it seem like no time at all. She did worry they were moving too quickly, especially considering how out of the blue their relationship was, but...another part of her felt like they had been together forever. Cliche, yes, but it was how she felt. Ruby seemed happy to go at whatever pace she set, and that was probably what was making her hesitate the most. They were both inexperienced, moving too fast would just be ruining a good thing. Kisses had been exchanged on the first morning, sure, but they hadn't touched lips yet. Blake was under the impression that was more of a third date thing than a third day thing. Though, they did live together...maybe it was equivalent?

Her thoughts were cut away by a young, panicked local. "Y-you're from Beacon! Please, my brother, you have to bring him back!"

"Where did he go?" Asked Ruby, slipping into the firm voice that sent shivers down Blake's spine.

"North, i-into the forest. He went after that... _thing_."

Ruby nodded. "We'll find him. Go to the hospital, make sure they are ready- he may need immediate attention."

The girl ran off, and Blake made note of the direction she took so they'd actually know where to go. Not hesitating for a second, Ruby had already started moving north, keeping at a pace Blake could match. They'd have to be fast, find the boy before the grimm did. A civilian had about as much chance against a Lauftef as...well, nothing, as there was no chance. Hiding would work, but that would require a person who wasn't actively seeking a fight.

Chances are, they were looking to recover a corpse.

She sprinted for a moment to catch up with her leader, but slowed considerably once she had. They couldn't move too quickly, they needed their energy for the hunt and sweat would freeze, dropping their temperatures. Naturally challenging survival made cold regions some of the most dangerous places for any hunter. Desert missions weren't even offered to students, due to how easy it was to die from the heat and lack of resources.

If the grimm didn't kill them, the cold just might.

It didn't take long to get past the village boundaries, even at a moderate speed they moved quickly. A small group of people had gathered on the outskirts, surrounding a man who looked like he may be some form of sheriff. They didn't stop to ask, their timing had become more urgent than ever.

Tall, thick trees formed a wall that cut off their vision. The forest would be difficult to navigate, but could theoretically play to their advantage- they were both agile, and hopefully the grimm wasn't. As the moved deeper in, the snow thinned. The dense canopy stopped much of the snow fall, and kept the floor from being fully covered.

"Blake, footprints."

About twenty feet to their left was a trail of marks left by boots. The turned to follow, glad that they were at least on the right track. Silver drowned their vision, the light tree bark and frosted underbrush made it seem like they were running through a land painted in grey scale.

"Ruby, look." Blake said, gesturing towards some of the trees they passed. Long, thin claw marks stretched across them, meaning the Lauftef had come closer to the village than they thought.

Another fifteen feet and the screaming started.

The only way to describe it was bloodcurdling. Wherever he was, he was being torn apart. They sped up, the forest blurring around them as they sprinted towards the voice.

Blake stumbled.

Not enough to take her off her feet, but enough to stop her. Ruby turned back, eyes filled with concern. The faunas _never_ stumbled. Blake started moving again, but felt sick to her stomach. Everything suddenly felt wrong, and it was making her skin crawl. The forest was silent, the screaming had been completely cut off. No birds, no wind, just their footsteps. A musky smell was filling the air, like a dog bathed in water from a dumpster. Their noses crinkled, but they didn't slow. Couldn't.

They entered a clearing. Light fell gently upon pristine, undisturbed snow. It looked almost idyllic, except for one disturbance. A corpse. Or, part of one. A torso laid flat in the snow, limbs and head nowhere to be seen. The blood was already long dry, and there were no footprints but their own. No sign of a struggle, or that anything had even been there. The smell grew thick, and Blake's body tensed.

"It's here."

No sooner than the words left her mouth, teeth clamped onto her shoulder. She was wrenched backwards, thrown into the nearest tree. Ruby shouted something, but Blake's ears were ringing too loudly to understand it. Pushing up to her feet, she pulled Gambol Shroud from her waist. The barrel of Crescent Rose was already staring down a massive grimm, easily over ten feet tall. Thick chest on gangly limbs, head like a goat and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. It had little bone plating, only on its head and spine, but weak blades would struggle with its thick fur all the same.

The Lauftef stood tall, then began to shake and twitch. Its body started to contort in bizarre ways, bones cracking unsettlingly. Leaning backwards, it let out a scream- the same one that had drawn them there.

The great scythe roared, and a shot to the sternum forced the monster back a few steps. The grimm looked like it was dry heaving, but an awful laughter fell from its mouth. Somewhere between a man and a goat, the awful mockery made Blake's teeth clench. A second shot rang out from Crescent Rose, but the grimm bent back in time to dodge it. Before rising, it ran a hand through the snow.

" _Duck_!"

Blake wouldn't have noticed it in time if not for her faunas senses. The Lauftef had grabbed a rock, and threw it hard enough to embed itself in a tree trunk. Ruby was quick on her feet, with Blake's warning she had more than enough time to re-position. With a snarl it turned to the faunas with red, unblinking eyes. She starting firing at its face, forcing the grimm to bring up a guarding hand. Ruby's acted fast, slashing into its knee with the blade of her scythe. It howled, then quickly turned to return the strike. Ruby was sent rolling through the snow, her aura taking the brunt of the strike.

"Ruby!" Blake felt the yell escape her throat before she could stop it. She knew her girlfriend was fine, but panic still ran through her.

The Lauftef began to shake once again, lifting its head into the air. " _RuUuuBy_!" It parroted, in a voice so far from human it her hair stand on end. " _RuUuuUuubY_!"

Fists clenched so hard her knuckles went white, Blake began firing. She paced herself, aiming for the grimms eyes and ears. It once again raised a hand, then dropped low. With a growl, it charged. Blake leaped back to the tree behind her, using it to push off to the one by its side. The Lauftef's hand blinded it to her movement, and it collided the tree she was once in front of. Ruby was already back on her feet, and Blake quickly ran to her.

"Blake, catapult!"

The faunas nodded, and Ruby held her scythe behind her. The blade flat, Blake crouched upon it. In a feat of strength only attainable through swinging many pounds of giant weapon like a toy for years, Ruby tossed the faunas into the air.

The Lauftef had already charged, snarling loudly. Ruby spun her rifle around, placing two quick shots into the grimms knee. It faltered, halfway collapsing as the limb gave out from under it. Blake came down on top of it, driving the blade of Gambol Shroud straight into its left eye. Howling, it swung its arm and threw her off. It began scratching it its own face, dragging sharp claws across the eye socket as it tried to remove the weapon.

With a scream, it dug its nails in deep and pulled the blade free. Black ooze was seeping from the wound, and the snow under it had been stained. The grimm looked back at them once, a single eye burning with hatred. It bared its teeth, then turned and fled. Heavy foot falls echoed through the wood as it crashed through the brush, birds scattering in the distance.

Blake's legs were shaking lightly, and her heart racing. Even with aura, hits strained the body- and that grimm hit hard. She heard Ruby walk towards her, and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine, just need a second. You?"

"Same."

They fell into silence, finding comfort in each others presence. The Lauftef was long gone, but it left behind plenty of prints. Being able to face it on their terms would make a world of difference, especially after giving it such a serious injury.

The faunas looked over her girlfriend, noticing that the cold and exertion had flushed the girls cheeks. Amber eyes traced down Ruby's lips, chin, her neck...and Blake couldn't help the thought stuck in her head.

"I can't believe I let you name it catapult."


	12. Chapter 12

Only hours after their teammates had left, the mood in their dorm had grown morose.

Yang didn't know what happened, but it was like a switch had been flicked. The heiress hadn't said a word to her, instead choosing to bury her nose in textbooks. Far from unusual, not like they were the best of friends, but as the time dragged on Weiss started to look like she was on the verge of tears. She supposed the frustrations of the last couple weeks must have really worn down on the fencer, and their team leaving must have allowed it to surface.

So, she did what any good partner would do; fetched coffee and a three cheese pizza.

Weiss would never admit it, but the greasy food the sisters often brought in had practically become an addiction. So, whenever the heiress seemed a bit down in the dumps, Yang would grab something completely unhealthy and threaten to feed the girl if she didn't eat. Usually worked.

"Hey." She said, placing a plate and a foam cup on the desk. "You look like you need a break."

Weiss blinked at her confusedly a few times, then relaxed back in her chair. "...Thank you."

"Sure thing. Anything you need to talk about?"

"Why do you care?"

Not quite what Yang was expecting. "Whaddya mean?"

"I am not exactly kind to you. Why care about my problems?"

"...I'm not even sure how to answer that. Just because we don't always get along I can't care about you?"

The heiress let out an exasperated sigh. "You...I don't..." Her hands gestured aimlessly as she struggled for words. "I don't deserve it."

"Whoa, where is this coming from? Figured Rubes was keeping the self loathing at bay."

"Ruby is...spending her time with Blake. She's happy."

"Well, sure. You know you can still talk to her, right?"

Weiss stayed silence for some time, debating how much she should say. A single tear started to roll down her cheek, but she wiped it away, hoping it Yang wouldn't notice.

Yang noticed. "And you can talk to me, too. About whatever you need, okay?"

"...I can't talk to Ruby. Not about this. She's my best friend, and I want her to stay happy."

"Okay, sure. But I'm not your best friend, so lay it on me."

The heiress sat up a bit straighter, blinking the moisture out of her eyes and clearing her throat. "You won't tell _anyone_ about this?"

"Not a peep. Promise."

Icy blue eyes looked into her own, flooded with emotions she couldn't place. As silence filled the room, Yang found her heart start to speed up. It was tense, a pressure in the air that seemed to push on her spine.

"I'm not gay, Yang."

"Uh, okay? And?"

"I'm not gay, because my father told me I couldn't be."

"Oh, Weiss..."

"Now, I know how foolish that really is. But...it took me too long. No matter how many of his rules I freed myself of, I could still hear his voice telling me not to be a... _deviant_."

Yang placed a comforting hand on her partners shoulder, wishing she could just grab her and ease it all away. Weiss stiffened, but didn't move away.

"I stopped being able to lie to myself. Couldn't, not with the way she made me feel."

 _Oh_. It suddenly made sense.

"You're in love with Ruby."

Tears rolled down Weiss' face, and her body shook with a sob. Yang bent down, wrapping her arms around the girls shoulders.

"I-it's so _hard_. I want her to be happy, but why couldn't she be happy with _me_?"

Yang said nothing, slowly rubbing circles on the heiress' back. They would have to have a long talk after this, but for now she would just provide whatever comfort she could.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Night had fallen, and they sat quietly on Yang's bed while slowly working through the lukewarm food. Weiss' eyes were red, but she seemed to be doing better. Well, as better as she could be.

"Can I ask you something" Yang asked, keeping her voice soft.

The heiress looked up at her, but didn't say anything.

"If you felt this way, why did you help Blake?"

Setting down her plate, Weiss took a moment before replying. "There would be a fight, no matter who I was with. My father _will_ try to arrange a marriage, and I may lose the company when I refuse. A part of me didn't want to bring anyone into that."

"You know she wouldn't care."

"Of course I do, but that isn't the end of it. Blake did in two weeks what I couldn't in two years. If I tried to break them up, what kind of person would I be? And for what, the off chance Ruby would actually be able to love someone like me?"

"Someone like you?"

"A bitch, Yang."

Her brow furrowed. "You aren't a bitch, Weiss. Even if you can be bitchy, that's not who you are. Besides, its not like the rest of us are perfect. Shit, I'm dreading they day those two start arguing."

The heiress quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Have you seen them?"

"Yeah, but more than that I know them. Blake'll do something stupid without telling anyone, and Ruby's gonna get hurt. Now we're spending the next two weeks with a team half filled with emos 'till they make up. Can see it comin' a mile away."

"...I'll take that bet."

Yang grinned. "Oh, yeah? Hundred lien."

"Fine. Anything other than that scenario and I win, yes?"

"Sure, I know I'll be right."

Weiss rolled her eyes, a barely noticeable smile on her face, and picked up her cup to grimace through some of the cold coffee...

"You know what? We should start going out."

...Only to immediately choke on it.

" _Excuse_ me?"

"It would help keep your mind off things."

"How is _that_ the solution? What part of 'I'm in love with your sister' didn't you understand?"

"Well it's not like I'm in love with you, either. Aint even really talking about dating, just hanging out with only two of us."

Weiss glared. "If you meant hanging out you would have said hanging out. Why would a relationship with no feelings behind it be a good idea?"

Yang raised her hands in surrender. "Hey, this aint as half-baked as you think. I can't even get a date around here anymore, the moment I show any interest they start acting like they're better than me or some shit. All high and mighty, as if I couldn't kick their ass any day. So, getting a chance to have some fun with someone who I know I can trust is a pretty good deal, y'know?"

"I suppose I can concede that, but how would this help me?"

"You're going to need the distraction. They probably aren't going to break up any time soon, and you keep up the this unrequited thing too long you'll end up in an early grave. So, let me distract you."

"This doesn't seem as well thought out as you claimed."

"Point number two! You don't want Ruby to find out about this, so you need to make sure you won't reveal anything. If she knows we're dating, you wont be able to say anything contrary without messing with your image."

"...And you know how important that is to me."

Yang nodded. "Not only that, but going out will keep you away from them and out of this dorm. Gonna need the space if you want to start moving on. And, hey, being taken will mean less people hitting on you all the time."

"I can't believe I'm actually _considering_ this."

"Look, I know it sound stupid, but it's not like we'd have to do it forever or be anything past platonic."

"Do you expect it to go past platonic? I'm sure I don't have to remind you of the fact that this isn't based on feelings."

The blonde shrugged. "And? Not like the dorks are in love yet, even if they act like it. Maybe I'm not your type, but I think you're pretty foxy and you aren't a total jerk. Enough for a few dates in my book."

Weiss' cheeks went rather red. "Attraction is _far_ from the issue. So, what, if I asked you to kiss me you would?"

"Yeah, pretty much. You want one?"

"No, that's not- it's- _Why_?"

"Who knows? Maybe I just want to kiss you."

"...Huh?"

Yang didn't offer a reply. Instead, she leaned forward to plant her lips on the heiress'. A hand grabbed at her jacket, and she heard a muffled moan from the shorter girl. Weiss pushed back into her with vigor, and the blonde knew she'd have to do this again. Unfortunately, they had to part eventually. Pulling away for air, the couldn't help but pant for a moment.

"Let me take you out to dinner." Yang said, once her breathing became even. "Tomorrow night, at seven."

Weiss' looked up at her, piercing blue eyes and pale skin contrasting against the red flush in her cheeks.

"...Okay."


	13. Chapter 13

They didn't have time to retrieve the body.

Snow had begun to fall, threatening to bury the fresh tracks. Ruby clipped her hood on to her coat, but it couldn't fully protect her from the sharp wind. The cold was biting, numbing their ears and flushing their cheeks, making Blake shiver even under her protective layers. Ice cracked under their feet as the temperature dropped, only serving to make their lives more difficult. As they walked, an eerie silence surrounded them.

"How's your aura?" Ruby asked, concerned.

"Fine, more or less. Seventy percent."

"Same. Going a bit better than I thought, to be honest."

Blake rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure that's as comforting as you mean it to be."

Silver eyes blinked up at her. "What? I wouldn't risk your safety if I didn't think we'd be fine."

"Hmm."

Ruby stopped her, grabbing onto the faunas' hand. "Blake, I mean it. I want you to be safe- and not just because we're dating. If this starts to go bad, I want you to run, okay? Even if I can't."

"Wha-? _No_!"

"Blake..."

"No. After saying we'll be fine, you think I'm going to just agree to you... _sacrificing_ yourself?"

"But I _would_. For you, for our team- I can't lose more family."

Blake flicked the smaller girls forehead. "You know the rest of us can't either. Now, we are going to finish this hunt, go back to Beacon, and you are going to take me out on the date you promised me." She started to walk again, leaving Ruby to catch up.

"...I'm sorry. I just want to protect you."

"Did you ever think that, just maybe, I'd want to protect you?"

"Well, sure...but I'm your leader. It's my responsibility- "

"To die for us?"

Ruby flinched, but Blake was too irritated to care. "Do you really think I would let you do that? Or Weiss? Yang would already be dragging you back to Beacon if she knew you even considered that."

Ruby didn't reply.

"What's making you say this, anyways? You're usually the most confident, not the worried one."

"I guess...how everybody was acting about this mission might be getting to me. We've never really talked about it, and I want you to know that I will give the order if it means saving you."

"And that's the one order I wont follow."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It took another hour to reach the end of the tracks.

A cave, entrance half hidden in the deep snow, rested in the base of a small mountain. The snowfall was thick, and starting to dampen their clothes as they scouted the area. Ruby could feel her toes go numb, but it was far from her first concern.

"Plan?" Blake whispered.

"We draw it out. The snow it going to make it tough, but I don't want to be caught in a confined space without Yang. Once it's out here, I'll go for the achilles. Think you can take out the other eye when it goes down?"

She nodded.

"Great. I want you in one of the trees, whichever gives you the best angle. Leave a clone behind, it'll be the distraction while I get to a flank."

Blake moved towards a tall wood that stood a few feet away, a shadow taking her place next to Ruby. Seeing one of the clones so close up felt a bit bizarre, as it lacked any amount of movement or sense of life. It looked like Blake, of course, but in some ways it was more like a wax statue than the actual person.

The bow on top was still cute, though.

Ruby moved to the opposite side of the entrance, weight kept low as she crept through the fresh powder. From a belt pouch she pulled out a small red explosive. Mostly harmless, Yang had gotten them for pranks, but Ruby found they were much more useful for drawing attention. She tugged the cord out, tossing the device to the snow near the clone. The boom was far from significant, but it was loud enough to echo through the cavern. Sitting in dead silence, the air was tense as they waited for their target to come investigate the disturbance.

And when it emerged, it did so unaware of the predators that lurked.

It struck like a snake, launching out of the cave to crush the intruder in its jaws. Unfortunately for the Lauftef, the intruder faded, smoke flowing through sharp teeth. The crunch of boots on snow behind it, and a sharp pain that forced it to collapse.

Tendon cut, the grimm was reduced to one functioning leg.

Screeching howls struck their eardrums, the grimm glaring at the small huntress with its single eye as it screamed into the darkening sky. A creak in the tree above, and it desperately threw an arm out to protect its face. Gambol Shrould pierced through the outstretched hand, but didn't have the length to hit the blood red iris. Enraged, the Lauftef grabbed her by the throat with its unoccupied left, suspending her in the air. Its right arm moved and the embedded weapon followed suit, and teeth came down on the faunas' stomach.

Blake's aura held strong, but it was getting drained quickly.

She could feel it strain, and the pressure around her neck made dread pool in her gut. A shot rang out, the grimm jerked away and slammed her to the ground. Out of its grip, she rolled away and pushed up to her feet. Crescent Rose had put a hole in the Lauftef's gut, and black oozed out into the snow. The grimm got onto its hands, Gambol still buried in its palm. Low to ground, it let out a growl.

And pounced.

Ruby's speed should have gotten her out of the way in time, but the grimm was far faster than she could have anticipated. Claws slashed across her torso, spinning her around. A second strike tossed her a few feet away, and her aura cracked and failed. Blake's heart pounded- Ruby's aura should _not_ have been that low.

Ruby stood and used her semblance to get some distance, firing shots when she could. It turned quickly, keeping on all fours to chase after her. Without a weapon, Blake wasn't about to throw herself into that fight, and had to hope that Ruby could stay ahead of it. Of course, Ruby outclassed the grimm in speed by a very significant amount- but the fact that it could move so well on two damaged limbs was worrying.

Then it turned to Blake, accepting the the smaller girl was too fast for it.

She managed to keep out if its reach, clones being crushed when it struck the ground where she had been. There were more holes littering its body, but it didn't seem to care, keeping on Blake's tail without a moment of hesitation. Then, as she stepped backwards, her boot slipped on the ice. It was on her in a second, arm thrown out to the side so it could attempt to gut her.

It never landed. Instead, she was thrown to the side and a scream rang out. Ruby had tackled her out of the way, the claws tearing across her back and through her red coat. The younger girls aura had already shattered, and her blood was now staining the snow beneath her.

"RuuUuuUuUuuuu..." Passed the girmms lips as it hunched over the huntress, teeth bared.

Quickly, Blake moved. She jumped onto its back, digging fingers into an ear and using it to hold on while she reached for Gambol Shroud. It howled again, head pulled back. Blake yanked her blade from the damaged hand, and stabbed it into the grimms neck repeatedly. The gooey blackness that runs through grimm veins was starting to cover her face, the violent stabbing making a mess of the Lauftef.

It writhed and struggled, trying to shake her off to no avail. In trying to stand it was now flailing around in a circle, pushing up and collapsing again and again. After a full forty seconds of struggle, it finally fell on last time, slumping into the snow as it slowly began to turn to dust. Blake stood on shaking legs, and rushed to Ruby's side.

Her girlfriend was in bad shape, the jagged claw marks were almost hard to see under the blood.

 _Damnit, Ruby. I just told you not to do this._

There was a technique, not taught until their second year due to possible side effects. Aura, even when broken, was never really gone- it was a part of their soul, after all. So, in emergencies, it is possible to force it into regeneration. Not dissimilar from a defibrillator, pushing some of your own aura into theirs could stabilize it long enough for it to start regenerating. Unfortunately, it wasn't always possible; aura was individual, and not everybody was compatible. Incompatibility would not only mean a wasted effort, but the rejection would leave Blake exhausted and possibly unconscious.

But with Ruby so injured, she wasn't going to be stopped so easily.

Rubbing her hands together, she channeled the warmth into them. After a moment, she placed a hand on either of Ruby's shoulders, and focused to feel the younger girls aura. It was damaged, heavily so, but Blake was right to think that it broke too easily. Instead of feeling lacking, it felt like it was simply wrong, like a heart off rhythm. Blake began to funnel her aura into Ruby, and it began to mend the damage. Ruby's aura would have to take it from there, but Blake's had been accepted without difficulty.

 _Soulmates_ , a romantic part of her cooed. The rest was just happy it worked, eyes starting to prickle with tears.

She was breathing heavily, fatigue setting in. Remembering the grimm, she took out her scroll to take a photo of the nearly dissipated remains. Turning back, her eyes scanned over the lines of Ruby's back that were now exposed by the tears in her coat. Much of the blood flow had stopped, and was slowly drying. The wounds were starting to close, but it was going to be a long process. Blake would have to carry her to the hospital once her aura was back in order, but she knew the jagged lines weren't going to fully heal.

Ruby would live, but she'd have scars worse than any of them.


	14. Chapter 14

**Rating changed! This won't contain any explicit material, but...I pushed it a little. Whoops.**

 **. . .**

 **. .**

A blizzard raged around them.

Blake had dragged her leader into the Lauftef's now unoccupied cave, the snow too thick to risk traveling. Starting a fire was easy, they all kept kits so they wouldn't be trapped searching for dry wood. Warm light flicked across the stone, the roar of the flames blending into the sounds of harsh wind. It was cold, too cold to stay in clothes that had been dampened by their fight in the snow, leading her to an awkward situation.

She had to undress her girlfriend.

Her wounded, unconscious girlfriend, but still. They had a sleeping bag, and sharing body heat inside it would keep them safe from hypothermia, but they weren't exactly at the comfortable nudity stage of their relationship. Very far form it, in fact. Well, it's not like they would have to be fully naked, but Blake's mind was happily filling in those gaps.

Starting the the heavy red coat, she began peeling the bloodstained garments from Ruby. Her wounds were healing, but it would still be at least another day before she was ready to move without re-opening them. Shredded shirt removed, Blake came to another awkward situation; Ruby's bra straps had been torn through, and the garment fell from her without the shirt to hold it. Blushing, Blake averted her eyes while she tossed the ruined bra away, boots following soon after.

Partner cared for, she quickly removed her own gear, down to her underwear, before crawling into the sleeping bag. Carefully, she pulled Ruby over her, trying her best not to spy anything she shouldn't. In this position she could see the cave entrance, just in case something stumbled upon their shelter. Beowolves howled in the distance, most likely an alpha trying to lead the young somewhere safe. No matter how unnatural they could seem, the grimm still knew to fear natures wrath.

The fire began to dwindle. It wouldn't last all night, but they would be able to keep each other warm without it. Blake's cheeks hadn't lost any of the fierce blush, as Ruby's topless form against her was a dream she'd never admit to having. Though still on the smaller side of their team, it was now painfully obvious that Ruby was Yang's sister, and Blake wondered if it would be the death of her. Her girlfriend occasionally squirmed in her sleep, and feeling those brilliant abs against her was torture. At least she had the comfort of knowing that the girl _was_ asleep, she didn't want to be caught with what was no doubt an utterly inappropriate expression.

"Blake?"

...Uh oh.

Peering down, she found bright silver eyes staring back at her.

"Um, our clothes?"

"Th-they were damp! A-and torn! This is just...uh..."

Ruby laughed at her. "It's okay, I'm messing with you. Body heat, right? I remember the class."

"Ah...right. Good, that's- good. Er, you probably shouldn't move much, you're still healing."

"Mm. Thanks for...taking care of me."

"Of course. Though, I distinctly remember telling you _not_ to do something like that."

"...Sorry. I-it's just, you were about to get hit, and I...didn't think."

"My aura was still in tact, I would have been fine. Unlike you."

"I know. I _knew_ , I was just...scared, I guess."

Blake let out a soft sigh. Ruby wasn't looking at her, arms adjusted to cover her chest. What someone who always wanted to save people ever saw in someone like Blake she wasn't sure, but it was somewhat overwhelming.

"Scared? Ruby, I was terrified. What if you died? Do you know what I had to do to stabilize you?"

The shorter girl winced. "You gave me a jump?"

"And _luckily_ it worked."

"...I'm sorry. Really. You're right, of course you are, just...maybe don't tell Yang?"

"Only if you don't tell her I stripped you in a dark cave."

Ruby laughed. "Deal, but there's one more thing I want..."

"Two things? You might be pushing it."

"Nah, I think you'll like this one."

Silver eyes closed, and Ruby's lips pressed against her own. Blake's heart fluttered, and her eyes shut as she leaned in. Soft, warm, caring...she didn't know what first kiss she expected, but this was definitely the one she wanted. Moaning, she planted her hands on the smaller girls hips, careful not to touch the wounds. Ruby bit at Blake's lip, making her gasp, and took the opportunity to slide her tongue in.

One hand tangled itself in her dark locks, and the other started trailing down her side, coming to rest on her hip. Blake's mind was spinning; just where had _this_ Ruby come from? They were definitely starting to toe the line. Though, with how intoxicating her human was...she decided that she didn't mind playing along, and reached down to give her girlfriends ass a soft squeeze. Ruby bucked against her, grinding into her thigh, and a shiver ran down Blake's spine. Forget toeing the line, they had definitely crossed it.

...And she should really make sure that's okay.

Breaking off, she had to take a moment to catch her breath before saying anything.

"Ruby."

"Mm?"

"How far...do you want to go tonight?"

"Oh, uh...well, I don't know how much my back will allow, but as far as you want."

"...Are you sure? We haven't been together long, and I don't want to pressure you into anything."

"Blake, I'm sure. I want this." She paused. "Do you? I mean, it's fine if you don't, I should have asked- "

"Yes, I do. I'm just...worried." Saying this would probably ruin the mood, but she would feel terrible if she wasn't honest. "Weiss told me about something that happened last year."

Silver eyes widened, then fell as Ruby sighed. "Right, that."

"...Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up. Sorry."

"No, it's fine. Look, I get why you're worried, but...I don't want a bad experience to stop me from living my life, y'know? And right now, I'd _really_ like to have sex with you."

Blake could've sworn her heart stopped at that.

"...Okay."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Multiple spots in her back popped as she stretched out, stone floor not making for a very kind mattress. Just about every part of her was sore, but that was from a long day of activity. Of multiple kinds. Ruby was still asleep, face buried in her cleavage. They both smelled a bit rank after a long night in so little space, but the smell of arousal hadn't faded and it somehow still made Blake's heart race.

The fire had been burned out for hours, and a tranquil silence had come with the morning sun. Storm long over, it was probably past time for them to head back into town. It would be nice to finally return to Beacon, where they could eat and sleep in a proper bed. Of course, they could visit somewhere in Lyreholm before leaving, but considering Ruby's wounds...especially since they opened during their tryst.

Seeing Yang would be very awkward after that.

It was entirely worth it, though. A relationship barely started and she was already wrapped around Ruby's finger, what would her father say?

 _'Haha! How do you think I was with your mother?'_

Maybe it was a genetic weakness for pretty girls.

Ruby murmured something in her sleep, and nestled in closer. Blake found herself smiling, and knew she wouldn't trade this for anything. Nothing, and no one. When did she become such a sap? She should really be waking up now, but Ruby seemed so content...

She planted a kiss on her girlfriends head, and figured she could use some more sleep anyways.


	15. Chapter 15

"Oh man, Yang is gonna _flip_..."

"Yes, well, maybe we leave out the part where I defile her injured sister in a cave."

Ruby laughed. "Oh, my chastity has been stolen! You are truly a beast! Now I'll never marry!"

Blake was laughing too, but couldn't help the touch of doubt in the back of her mind. Ruby was an adult, but still younger than her. Ruby was healing quickly, but she was still wounded. Yang would probably kill her.

"Hey."

She looked down, finding silver eyes staring back up her.

"You look pretty zoned out. Everything alright?"

"...Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright. You, ah...you don't regret it, do you?"

"No, not at all. I was kind of worried you would, to be honest."

Ruby shook her head. "Not a second. Well, the claws hurt, but I would do it again if it meant another night with you."

Blake found herself blushing, and once again wondering when Ruby learned to flirt. Gently, she sat up and held her girlfriend close.

"The storm passed a while ago, we should start moving."

Ruby started to stretch, wincing at the pain from her back. She was flashing Blake pretty nonchalantly, but that was far from a bad thing.

"Man, I'm sore all over. Scratches, bruises, bit marks...oh wait, those were you."

Blake groaned as her cheeks flamed, and the reaper laughed. Ruby leaned in to give her a kiss, ignoring the morning breath. She wasn't wrong, as there were very visible hickies on the smaller girl's neck and collar.

"Yang's going to find out immediately, isn't she?"

Ruby giggled. "Don't worry, we can just say they're from a super awesome make-out session."

"Right." Blake quieted, eyes tracing her girlfriend's form. "Something's bugging me about yesterday, actually. The fight, that is."

"Oh, yeah?"

"You used your semblance to push me out of the way, but your aura had already shattered. Far earlier than normal, when I think about it."

Ruby nodded as she started gathering her gear from the cave floor. "Yeah, I don't really know what happened. My aura feels kinda fuzzy today, too."

"...And you didn't think to mention it?"

"It coulda just been afterglow!"

"Well, clearly it isn't. Good thing we were already going to the infirmary."

A whine. "I hate the infirmary."

"So do I, but you have a faulty aura and suffered a serious injury."

"My back feels fine..."

"I know baby, but the scarring is...intense. We need to be sure."

"...Okay. Keep calling me that?"

Blake smiled, and pulled her in to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Sure thing, baby."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The return trip felt long and tiring, and reuniting with their team doubled that.

Weiss was only there for a second, offering a warm (but slightly awkward) greeting before making an excuse and fleeing. Yang went in for a hug, but was stopped short when she realized that Ruby, having forgotten to bring spare clothes, had only Blake's jacket to cover her torso.

"Whoa, you two go for the mile high club or what?"

Oh Yang, if only you knew.

And despite Ruby's best efforts to escape her fate, the two older girls gave her only just enough time to get into undamaged underwear before dragging her off to the infirmary.

Surprisingly, she was cleared within an hour.

There wasn't anything they could do for her back, as her aura had worked so quickly. The scarring still looked rough, but that was out of their control. The medic did seem concerned about her aura acting up, but simply told her to report any further symptoms.

So, back to the dorm.

Blake left to find them some form of food, and Ruby headed in to get pajamas on. Yang followed, asking about the mission and pretending the scars didn't freak her out. That is, until Ruby made the mistake of facing her while half-dressed.

"Hickies, huh? Guess the hero got her reward."

The younger sister flushed red, eyes wide in surprise. "Don't make it weird! Hickies are a normal side effect of make-outs!"

"Sure, sure. And the ones on your thighs?"

Ruby froze, dread settling in her gut. "...Please don't kill my girlfriend."

Yang rolled her eyes, plopping down on Blake's bed and dragging her sister down next to her.

"Relax, sis. I'm not gonna kill Blake." A sigh. "Okay, I kinda want to. BUT, I'd like to think I'm beyond trying to kill my best friend for something she probably wasn't even the one to suggest."

"...She _could_ have suggested it."

"Except that you already said you went straight from the bulkhead to the fight, and I know she wouldn't try to screw you when you had been minced like that. So, tell me what actually happened before I decide what to do."

"...There was a blizzard, after the fight. I was too out of it to do anything, but Blake got us shelter in the cave we drew the grimm out of. My clothes were ruined, and it was freezing, so she had to strip me and huddle up. When I was up again, I uh...sorta just..." Ruby trailed off, hands gesturing vaguely.

"...Propositioned her?" Yang offered.

"Yeah, that."

An appreciative whistle. "Man who'da thunk that Ruby 'Terrible-With-Girls' Rose would ever proposition Blake Belladonna for freaky cave sex."

" _Oh my god,_ Yang."

"What? It's a fair point! I mean, what even made you go for it?"

"Well...I really like Blake. I know we haven't been together long, but we were friends for a long time and I know that I can trust her. The setting was kinda weird, but...exciting, I guess? I dunno."

"Huh. Did you enjoy it?"

"You're making it weird!"

Yang shoved her playfully. "Answer the question, dork."

"...It was great. She's great."

"You got it bad, huh?"

Ruby giggled, cheeks still flushed.

"You're gonna remember to put a sock on the door, right?"

"...Why would I do that?"

"To let us innocents know when you guys are gonna be playin' the southbound patty-cake."

"That might be the worst thing I've ever heard."

"I'll work on it. Still, sock the door. Talking about it is joke fuel, seeing it is trauma fuel."

Ruby rolled her eyes.

The door unlocked, opened, and Blake stepped in. She paused, looking at them oddly, then quirked an eyebrow.

"You know you're mostly naked, right?"

Yang laughed. "Funny you should say that, we were just talking about how much of my naked sister you've seen! Wanna join us?"

Blake paled, and they could see her bow strain as her ears tried to flatten. "...Oh."

Yang waved her off. "Messin' with ya, Blakey. Ruby came to your defense very valiantly."

"Ah. You're...okay, with this?"

The blonde shrugged. "Moreso that I trust you two to not be totally stupid."

"That's...fair. I didn't expect you to be this...lucid, to be honest."

"I know, right? I think I'm doing pretty well for someone who found out her best friend took her sister's virginity."

The awkward silence was palpable.

.

 **o**

 **oo**

 **ooo**

* * *

 **Quick chapter, wanted to get something out after the long absence. Also means we can focus on stuff other than banging for a while.**


	16. Chapter 16

A week passed without incident.

Which, of course, meant that there had to be _something_.

So on a slightly cold morning, Ruby Rose ran straight into a wall.

Not in the way one might normally run into a wall, say wearing a blindfold or being distracted by cute kitty ears. Instead, after dropping out of bed, she took a single step and found herself clutching at a bloodied nose on the other side of the room.

If that wasn't bad enough, she was utterly alone.

Blake was nowhere to be found, which meant she woke up to an empty bed. Weiss was usually out first, so nothing new there, but Yang had mysteriously vanished as well. So, she just sat alone, nursing her bleeding nose and aching head.

And, to be honest, she really felt like crying right now.

She had been out of combat classes for a week already, and her failing aura meant she'd be out of them for even longer still. If there's any chance of it being permanent...she wouldn't be a huntress. Not for long, anyway.

On top of that, Weiss didn't talk to her anymore. Not really. Stiff responses and awkward silences, like they hadn't spent two years side-by-side. It hurt. More than she could say. Weiss was her best friend, someone who knew things _nobody_ else did. Heck, Weiss had saved her when she was just a dumb, drunk, scared little girl- and now they barely saw each other.

Ruby sighed. The dried blood on her face was going to start itching soon.

Things were weird with Blake, too. The faunas said she didn't regret their night together, but...well, she hadn't even gotten tongue since, let alone anything further. Ugh, no wonder Yang kept calling her a horny teenager. Of course she didn't actually want to tell her girlfriend that, their relationship was still new and awkward and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she... _guilt_ Blake for sex.

She really was crying, now. Being an adult sucked. And her cloak was just a hood now, which didn't make for much in the way of comfort.

Blinking rapidly, she tried to clear her tears while focusing on taking deep breaths. Funny, so much time spent trying to be more mature and she missed being a kid more than anything. It was _necessary_ , goodness knows she barely got respect on a good day, but she had no idea how tiring it'd be.

And now she had to go to the infirmary. Great.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Well Ms. Rose, there is good news and bad news."

A sigh. "Bad news first, please."

"Your semblance will no longer function as you know it."

Ruby's heart dropped. "...And there's _good_ news?"

The doctor smiled. "You are going through what many people would call, well, auric puberty. A rare condition, but well documented. Up to this point your semblance would be described as speed, correct?"

"Er, yeah."

"Well, something about it is changing significantly enough that your aura cannot operate at full capacity. Not until it's done, that is."

"I...o-okay. How long is that?"

A thoughtful hum. "It depends, really. Did you face any similar symptoms when your semblance originally developed?"

"I ran into stuff a lot."

"And how long would you say it took for you to gain control?"

"Maybe...two weeks? 'Till I stopped doing it by accident, that is."

"Then I'd expect anywhere between one and four weeks. Of course, you should come back here if anything worrying occurs."

"So...that's it? I'm all wonky for a bit then I get a new semblance?"

The doctor laughed, her soft giggle warming the room. "Not quite, no. It is not a different semblance, so much as it is an evolved semblance. A modification on what already exists."

"What, like, I could be super fast _and_ fly?"

A shrug. "I don't see why not."

...Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Now, looking through your file I noticed something odd. You've signed in here six times over two years, correct?"

Ruby blushed a bit. "Yeah..."

"And the first time you were here, you should have been asked to choose a team member that would act as your immediate emergency contact."

She wracked her brain, but Ruby really couldn't remember setting that up. Her team did, so what came up that kept her from it? And setting that aside, who was she supposed to choose? Yang came to her mind first, being her big sister and all, but that felt almost...childish. No offense to the blonde's caretaking abilities, of course. Blake was her girlfriend, but it was probably way too soon for medical reliability. Weiss...

"Can you tell me who my teammates picked?"

Opening a drawer, the doctor quickly skimmed through the R section and pulled out a manilla folder marked RWBY and handed it to the young huntress.

"Health and safety is considered a responsibility of the team leader, and as such you are permitted to view information that would noramlly be confidential. Keep in mind, some of this isn't even open to the headmaster, and is not to be taken lightly."

Ruby felt a lump forming in her throat.

"So I can just see all their...stuff?"

"Medically speaking, yes. If you are in need of something else, I would suggest consulting Ms. Goodwitch."

Silver eyes peered down at the folder. It was fairly thin, would take just a minute or two to read...

She opened it.

There was really no way to know what she would find, reading the things her team would probably never tell her.

Things they wouldn't want her to know.

How, when Yang pushes her semblance during the day, it will be weak when she sleeps. Weiss broke a bed by using her as a projectile.

 _Bruising, fractured rib._

What happened while Ruby and Blake were in Lyreholm, leaving their teammates to work out their issues.

 _Xiao-Long experienced two panic attacks during this time, one serious and another minor._

 _Emergency contact is Blake Belladonna. Contact chosen during first semester, first year._

Why when Weiss offered earplugs on a long airship flight, having heard many faunas students complaining about the noise, Blake just looked confused.

 _Belladonna experiences minor hearing failure in her faunas traits, cause uncertain._

 _Emergency contact is Yang Xiao-Long. Contact chosen during first semester, second year._

Like why some days, Weiss glared at the mirror.

 _Scarring over left eye has not healed properly, most likely due to attached emotional trauma._

 _Emergency contact Ruby Rose. Contact chosen during second semester, first year._

Letting out a shaky breath, Ruby closed the folder


	17. Chapter 17

Confrontation was not her strong suit.

In fact, it was the opposite of her strong suit.

And yet here she was.

"Why are you avoiding us?"

She didn't mean to start with that, but the words slipped out before she was prepared to start speaking. Blue eyes trained on her, and one of her ears twitched within the confines of her bow.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Yes you are."

Weiss just stares, caught somewhere between her natural glare and blank apathy.

"Yang has been the only person to see you in days."

"Hrmph. Yes, well, I've been busy."

Blake quirks an eyebrow.

Weiss huffs. "I'm heir to one of the largest companies on Remnant, it is perfectly normal to be _busy._ "

"And yet you only seem to be busy when it's convenient."

"Why do _you_ care, Blake?"

And Blake doesn't really know how to answer. They may not have always gotten along, but they were close now. At least, she thinks they are. Something twists in her gut at the thought that those feelings are one-sided.

"...You did the same for me."

Weiss flinches.

Blake steps closer. "Are you okay? Do you- do you need help?"

"No, no, I..." she trails off, rubbing at her temples.

"Well, I'm offering. Even if you just need to talk for a minute."

There's something burning in those blue eyes, for just a moment. A moment, and Weiss has turned away from her.

"I suppose...I may need it."

Blake smiles.

"But you tell _no one_."

"Not even Ruby?"

"Ruby would race through the halls screaming it, and even without her semblance I'm not sure we could catch her."

"Should I make popcorn?"

Weiss giggled, leaning back on the railing of the quiet courtyard they found themselves in.

"This is supposed to be serious."

Blake smirked. "Sorry I'm not dramatic enough for you."

That got a laugh.

"Truly you are the comedian of the team." Weiss' smile fell. "But I suppose that brings us to the issue."

A sigh.

"I'm not sure what part of the team I am anymore."

Blake's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You remind us of the big picture. Of the enemy we need to prepare for. Yang keeps us from being crushed under the pressure of it. My job was to keep Ruby focused- and even if she still needed that, you are perfectly capable."

"That is...shockingly moronic."

Weiss blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I'm saying you're normally smarter than this. Am I really just a reminder of our burdens?"

"No, of course not-"

"Then why are you just Ruby's _handler_?"

"I..."

Blake moved in close, placing a hand on her frend's shoulder. "Weiss, we care about you. You will always be a part of this team, no matter what."

"You don't need-"

" _As much as it pains me to say it_ , Ruby may not be able to continue her career as a huntress. Does that make her any less a part or RWBY?"

" _No_!"

"Then what in the world is making you think that of yourself?"

"Because I'm not allowed to have what I want!"

Blake didn't recoil from her shouting, but Weiss turned away nonetheless.

"I'm happy, Blake. Even if things aren't the best right now. That doesn't- it never lasts."

"I don't understand."

" _My father is coming here_."

And it suddenly made a lot more sense. The elder Schnee's cruel beliefs were far from secret, and from the few times Weiss had opened up about her home life...

"When he does, he will most likely remove me from the academy."

"He can't do that."

"You're free to try telling him that."

"You're an adult, Weiss, he can't remove you from anything."

"As if he's ever cared about the legality of what he wants. Bad enough I want to be a huntress, but when he finds out about Yang..."

"Yang?"

Weiss turns red. "She and I are...we're..." She gestures vaguely, as if that would make it clear.

"You're...?"

"Partners. Together. Dating!"

...Blake really hoped she would stop getting blindsided by things. She knew Yang was open about her attraction to just about anything with a pulse, but she was suprisingly prudish about dating. Weiss was... Weiss. Not to mention the fact that whether or not they got along seem to depend entirely spending minimal time together.

Though...it did mean she was totally right to think of setting them up.

And she was a sucker for romance.

"Wow. How long?"

"The night you and Ruby left."

Weeks, and Blake hadn't noticed a thing. Had she been rendered blind? Was that a side effect of second-hand sugar overdose? She need to stop letting her rose have midnight snacks.

"And I'm assuming your father will be less than tolerant of it."

Weiss barked out a laugh, wrapping her arms around herself. " _Please_. When he finds out I'm not only dating a woman, but a crass one from a family that isn't bleeding wealth..." she shook her head. "He'll pop a blood vessel, then attempt to marry me off to the first single heir he can find."

"Atlas hasn't practiced arranged marriage in a hundred years."

"High society thinks differently than people do, Blake. Atlas is theirs to play in, and they don't like when their toys start thinking for themselves."

"...This isn't Atlas."

Blue eyes on her own, but no reply.

" _This isn't Atlas_. Weiss, Vale recognizes kidnapping no matter the perpatrator- we would be fully authorized to protect you by any means we are capable of."

"Are you offering to fight my father?"

"Yes." Blake pulled out her scroll, navigating to one of the many guides Beacon students were given. Hunters had a fair amount of sway in Vale, far more than Atlas, which meant a certain amount of allowed force. Given that Weiss was now inedependent, anybody trying to take her against her will would face a kidnapping charge at best. Not only were they fully permitted to forcefully respond to such an attempt, it was encouraged.

Passing her scroll over, she let her teammate read in silence.

"...I would lose the company."

"You're more important than the company."

Weiss scoffed. "Not to Remnant. If I were in charge, I could finally start fixing things. The SDC has proper political weight, and could be used to push anything from faunas rights to fruit prices. How, exactly, am I supposed to let that go?"

"You're right. I wont pretend that I don't want to see the things you'd achieve in that position. However, you're my friend first. In fact, I would say the team is..." Blake sighed softly, fidgeting. "Maybe I've got the wrong idea, but I think of you like family. You can't ask me to let someone I care that much about to throw away their lives and happiness, no matter how much she tries to distance herself from us."

Eyes wide, Weiss just sort of stared at her. Then, they started watering. She tried to blink them away, but to no avail.

So instead, she brought Blake into an unexpected, though welcome, hug.

"Thank you."


End file.
